


Death's Advocate

by starian_nightzz



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 23:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 66,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5224379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starian_nightzz/pseuds/starian_nightzz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Wizarding War robbed her of her life and her friends, ruining what is yet to come. Through a deal made with Death, Hilda Potter is reborn as a ninja for Konoha. But the tides of war are on the horizon. Itachi/Fem!Harry</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Death

Nineteen-year-old Hilda Potter doesn't know just when was it when she had ran out of tears.

She is so damned  _sick_  and tired of everything—of life in general.

She now had a good idea why her aunt Petunia hates the wizards and witches so much, and why she had detested the idea that both Lily and Hilda were witches. After all, if she is going to lose her own loved ones to a world that she doesn't even understand, she'll rather not get too attached to them.

Petunia's words to Hilda before she'd left with the Order for protection when the war had broken out still haunted Hilda from time to time—especially during the year when she had been hunting the Horcruxes.

_You might have lost your mother sixteen years ago, but remember, Hilda, Lily is my sister. You didn't just lose your mother that day. I lost my sister too._

The war against Voldemort had ended two years ago, but at a terrible price. Hermione and Ron have died during the war, dying side-by-side with each other, with content smiles on their faces, knowing that they'd helped to take down Voldemort's last Horcrux and leaving it to their best friend to end the existence of the most dangerous Dark Lord of the last century.

So did Tonks and Remus, thus leaving their barely year old son in the guardianship of a grieving Andromeda Tonks who had also lost her husband barely six months ago.

And even with the war over, the wizarding community and the Ministry still wouldn't leave Hilda alone despite requests from both Hilda and Kingsley, the new Minister to do so. And to make matters worse, Rita Skeeter had picked up her poison pen once more, churning out article after article, basically citing Hilda as the next coming of the Dark Lord. Even though Andromeda had tried her best to protect Hilda, it had still been too much for her, and she was nearly driven insane by everything.

Fearful for her sanity and her safety, Kingsley had managed to smuggle Hilda into the muggle world, as not even they both knew whom they could trust, even amongst the members of the Order. The only one whom they knew would never harm Hilda had just been Andromeda.

Hilda rubbed at her eyes, seated by the side of the large lake that she is staring out at, with the stars being reflected onto the surface of the water.

"…Hermione. Ron. Severus. Mom. Dad… Tonks. Remus. Sirius… Is this the world that you've died for—sacrificed for?" Hilda whispered, her voice cracking up as she tried to choke back her sobs. "I'm… I'm  _so tired."_  She whispered, wrapping her thin arms around her equally thin legs. How long has it been since she'd gone without food? When was the last time when she had slept or even ate properly? Hilda doesn't know. And she doesn't care either. "I wish that I'd never known about the wizarding world if I knew that this would happen. Just… What did we sacrifice everything for? Is… Is Voldemort right in the end? Is this world…even worth  _saving?"_

There is no answer, with the only sounds being the soft lapping of the waters of the lake against the sides.

Hilda rubbed at her eyes before digging out the familiar ruby red stone within her pocket, staring at it. The Resurrection Stone. One of the three Deathly Hallows that had brought her this much trouble to begin with.

_Master of Death._

" _I call upon you,"_  Hilda whispered, turning the stone over in her hand three times,  _"Heed my call."_

For several moments, all was silent.

"You call?"

Hilda didn't even flinch at the whispery eerie sounds of that familiar voice even as she turned to face a creature that seems to be a typical representation of the Grim Reaper from fairy tales—decked out in a black cloak similar to that of a Dementor's, only with the wicked looking scythe visible in its hands.

"You can grant wishes, can't you?" Hilda asked Death, her voice hoarse.

Death almost seem to sigh, as Hilda Potter—the current Master of Death had called upon him more than once ever since the war had ended, begging Death to give back her friends' lives. "I've told you before, my master, I  _cannot_  bring back lives that are already expired. It is not within my realm of interference—"

"Then how about taking a life?" Hilda interrupted, a steely glint visible in those cold green orbs that only had  _Death_  written in it. "It is within your realm of interference, right?"

Death raised its hooded head to look at his new master. Those eyes are already that of someone who had totally given up on living. But as the new Master of Death,  _dying_  is a concept that is impossible.

"…My master, do you wish to die?" The God of Death whispered, feeling pity for his master. He who feels no emotions has been attached and attuned to his current master's soul after  _centuries_  with no direct descendant from the Peverell line being able to claim the title as the Master of Death. And yet, the first one after centuries had gone through so much hardship and tortures that even make the God of Death feel that it might have been a kinder fate for her to join those in the Afterlife.

"Taking a life… That is within your area of interference, right?" Hilda asked again, ignoring Death's question. "I'm tired.  _I'm so tired._  Please… This life… It is a fate worse than Death. I don't want to live knowing that I'm all alone."

Death's non-existent heart went out to his master.

"…My master, you've barely lived your life," he said reluctantly. "You don't know or experienced love yet. You're young—too young. While yes, it is indeed within my area of interference, I don't want to let you die just yet."

" _Please!"_

" _However,_  there is another  _gift_ that I can offer you that is still within my area of interference." Death continued as if Hilda hasn't spoken,  _"Restart your life. Begin with a clean slate."_

Hilda frowned. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "If it's time travel, no way in Hell. Not with how they're treating me. I'm starting to think that Voldemort has the right idea—that this world isn't worth saving any longer."

"…How about that in a different world, a different time, a different dimension?" Death asked, and Hilda was silenced immediately, giving Death her full attention. "You won't be Witch, Wizard, Sorcerer or even Warlock. You will still be Warrior and Protector, yet still be tangled with Death. You will gain something which you'd longed for all your life—a family's love. But you will still lose them in the end. You will know a lover's touch, a love that defies all common sense—for your sake, he will willingly walk over fire, but you will still lose him, yet you will gain it back if you wish it, for such is your Power, and your  _Will of Fire._  You will know no limits. You will have no Shackles. Nothing will  _bind_  you if you wish it, for such is your nature. But my master, know this, as you know by now—more than anyone else,  _power comes at a price. And so do wishes."_  Death whispered, knowing that now is the time to fulfil the contract that his master's dear friends have made with him upon their deaths, and he'd gone to reclaim their souls.

"Name your price." Hilda responded.

"Your identity." Death replied, much to Hilda's surprise. "You will lose your very identity of being Hilda Potter—last living descendant of the main Peverell line. All your memories of being a Witch—everything that had ever made you Hilda Potter—you will lose it all. You will lose your magic, yet possibly gain more power than what you had now. However, you will also know pain and suffering unlike any other. Yet the friends and comrades that you will make—they  _will never betray you_  for it is not in their honour. Your family—your  _clan_ will still be marked with the Touch of Death, for such is their Destiny and Fate, and not even I could change it. For such are the rules binding the gods, and the laws of the universe. With that still, will you still agree to this?"

Hilda was hesitant in the beginning. Lose her very identity? And then again, what has she got to lose anyway? Who  _is_  she anyway? Who or what she is now, hasn't she been moulded to be who she is right from the very beginning? Being created as a mere  _weapon_  to destroy the Dark Lord?

Hilda met Death in the eye and nodded determinedly.

Death nodded. "Very well, my master. Go. And may the fortunes smile on you," he whispered before a flash of white light enveloped Hilda, and she then vanished. Death waved one of his sleeves, and semi-transparent figures of a redheaded male and a brunette female appeared before him, smiling grimly at Death.

" _We thank you for this."_  The female whispered.  _"We feared that things would come to this one day. Now, we can fulfil our part of the bargain."_

"Are you sure?" Death questioned. How ironic.  _He_  shouldn't be the one questioning the humans' decisions. For eons, he had granted wishes—those within his realm of interference at least. Those whose wishes embarked amongst the lines of life and death. "The price that you will give up is the same as my master.  _Your identities."_

" _We know. We're prepared for this."_  The redheaded male smiled sadly.  _"I've let my best friend down more times than I care to remember. Yet, her faith in me had never wavered. She had always trusted me. I don't deserve a friend like her. I… I want to be the one protecting her now, instead of the other way around. Hilda has done enough. And if by fulfilling our contract and our wish, the wizarding world as we know it will be wiped out, then so be it. It's what they deserved after turning on Hilda the way they did."_

" _We might not remember her and know her, and she might not remember us and know us, but it's okay."_  The brunette smiled sadly.  _"Our hearts are still connected. We will still end up meeting. For such are Fate, Destiny and Death."_

Death nodded. "Very well. I'll grant your wish. The price…will be paid in full by the Wizarding World," he responded. "Go." Like earlier, similar white lights enveloped the two before they vanished. Death then looked at the surface of the lake. "Go.  _Saito Hinami. Nara Ren. Uchiha Yuri,_ my Master, my  _Death's Advocate._  It shall be as you wish it."


	2. Uchiha Yuri

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been three years since the end of the Third Great Shinobi War, and Uchiha Yuri (Hilda Potter) is now the adopted sister of Hatake Kakashi.

Fifteen-year-old Hatake Kakashi waited patiently outside the Academy doors with all the other parents—both civilian and ninja, ignoring the curious looks given to him by most, as he looks far too young to be a parent to a child currently attending the Academy even if most ninjas become parents young.

And true, he  _isn't_  a parent but more of a guardian to a current Academy student—at least until she graduates and gets her hitai-ate to become a genin of Konoha.

After all, his best friend had left it in his will after he'd passed away—that should he pass away, and if their jounin instructor or other teammate be unable or unwilling to care for his younger sister, that Hatake Kakashi be named guardian of the child, with Nohara Rin and Namikaze Minato be named as joint guardians.

And for the thousandth time, Kakashi is questioning himself just when and why Uchiha Obito named  _him—_ Hatake Kakashi as the guardian of his younger sister when the two boys were never on the best of terms until that mission that had killed Obito had taken place.

Team Minato had known and met Obito's beloved younger sister numerous times.

Obito had often brought the small child along with him to team meetings when he'd became a genin. Rin had adored animals and children, and positively doted on the girl whenever Obito is busy with Minato whenever the blonde haired jounin conducted one-on-one training during their team training sessions. Unfortunately however, Kakashi had gotten off on the wrong footing with the girl during their first meeting which only earned him a kick in the shin when the silver haired ninja had said something insulting about her brother.

Team Minato had also often been the team hired to babysit Obito's little sister during the occasional D-ranks that they undertake.

It was only after Obito had passed away that Kakashi was able to break through the wall that the child had built up around herself—and Obito's sister had then latched onto him as if afraid that Kakashi will leave her too.

Thus, imagine Kakashi's surprise when less than a week after Obito had passed away, the Hokage had summoned all of Team Minato to his office to get Obito's will read—even though by the time the war had concluded, all that remains of Team Minato have just been Kakashi and Minato.

While most ninjas usually made it a point to get wills made, especially during the time of the war, the ninjas that do that are usually those at chuunin rank and above—usually ninjas with something even remotely worth giving.

Obito's will only included guardianship of his sister, and had stated that the money that Konoha gives to the families of those ninjas killed in action are to be given to his sister and to whoever her guardian would be until she starts earning her keep. Obito had even added that under no circumstances is his sister to be handed into the guardianship of anyone with the last name of Uchiha.

Kakashi still remembered his meeting with the Hokage and his jounin instructor after Obito's will was read—when he had asked the aged Hokage just why it was him that Obito wanted to raise his sister and not any of his numerous relatives.

After all, the Uchiha is a  _clan—_ one of the most prominent ninja clans in Konoha furthermore, and they surely have the capability and power to raise a child better than Kakashi could? A young jounin like Kakashi who would no doubt be often sent away from Konoha on missions?

The Hokage's explanation of Obito's home life after that almost chilled Kakashi to the bone.

" _It's a long story." Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed, looking really exhausted and puffing away on his pipe, looking older than he really is. With Iwa's surrender, the Third Great Shinobi War had hereby came to an end, but the aftermath and cleanup is horrible—with the Hokage having hundreds of letters to draft out to the families of his dead shinobis and having to rebuild their economy. "Didn't Obito-kun ever tell you anything about his home life?"_

" _No." Kakashi shook his head even as he furrowed his brows, trying to remember a time when Obito had spoken about his home life._

" _Obito had never mentioned any parents or anything. As far as I know, he is his sister's sole guardian—basically raising her on his salary as a ninja ever since he had earned his hitai-ate." Minato frowned. "Did his parents die during the war?"_

_From what Minato knew, Obito hails from the main family of the Uchiha clan, being distant second or fourth cousins to the current clan head's family._

" _Yes. But even before that, Obito had been living on his own with his sister. He took her away from the clan about a year or so before he had graduated and approached me with his story. I gave them financial support and aid whilst he was still an Academy student, with the Yamanaka clan often acting as babysitters whenever Obito was in the Academy still until he became a genin." The Hokage answered, much to Kakashi and Minato's surprise. He puffed on his pipe. "…Tell me something. How much do you know about the Yamanaka clan?"_

" _The Yamanaka clan?" Kakashi echoed in surprise. He knew that Obito had always been on relatively good terms with the Yamanaka clan, as they often offered to babysit his sister, especially during the later years of the war when Team Minato was often summoned to the frontlines. "Not a lot. I only know that they are Konoha's spies and interrogators, and their clan techniques often relates to the mind. Obito is on relatively good terms with the current clan head and his family before he had passed away, from what I know."_

" _Yes. But there is something else about the clan that few are aware of," said Hiruzen seriously. "Due to their mind techniques, majority of the clan can see things that most of us couldn't."_

_There was silence for several moments before Minato spoke. "Do you mean spirits and demons—things like that, Hokage-sama?"_

_Hiruzen nodded solemnly. "This is one aspect of the clan that most outsiders wouldn't know. In fact, the only ones outside of the clan that knew should probably just be the Nara and Akimichi clans," he answered. "Majority of the clan can view the beings not of this world, but it isn't like they can do much. But occasionally, there are very few members of the Yamanaka clan that_ _**can** _ _do something about the spirits or demons that haunt Konoha—particularly those in abandoned buildings or even places where people die a horrible violent death."_

_Kakashi is starting to feel his skin crawl. Sure, he knew that there are some people who could see 'things', but even amongst the ninjas, people with abilities like those are seen as abominations. He can understand now why the Yamanaka clan kept this aspect of their clan hidden._

" _Do you mean…exorcists and things like that?" Kakashi asked, relieved that his voice came out steady._

_The Hokage nodded. "Obito's little sister had a similar ability. Since she is a toddler, she had the ability to see and speak to the dead. And during the extreme cases, she can exorcise them and send them to the afterlife—and even summon them," he said, much to Minato and Kakashi's surprise. "But in a clan like the Uchiha, they don't tolerate 'un-naturals' and had been abusing the child both verbally and physically ever since they've discovered that ability." Kakashi and Minato paled at that. "Obito finally had enough when he was about ten and his sister was two and left the clan and the compound. I assisted them with getting an apartment and financial aid as he was then still in the Academy. The Yamanaka clan were frequent babysitters for Obito's little sister because they were teaching her to control her ability. Obito's own parents were the main abusers. And that is the reason why when they passed away during the war, Obito actually told me that if they ever left anything to their children, for me to burn it. Not that they did, but you know what I mean."_

" _Seems like before the clan could abandon them, Obito abandoned them first." Kakashi murmured, feeling guilty for all those times when he had admonished Obito for being late and irresponsible and all that when he probably has a good reason for it._

_Damn Obito and his pride! Why wouldn't he tell them? They would have helped him! They would have understood._

_Minato breathed out deeply. "I understand now why Obito drew out a will the moment he became genin. He actually asked Kushina to look over it for him before he had it filed in case of loopholes."_

_After all, as a Konoha ninja during the war, there is an extremely high chance that Obito would get killed—which he did, and his sister would then be left alone. In most cases with children who aren't recognised ninjas, they would then be passed into the guardianship of their next blood kin._

_In this case, the Uchiha clan._

Honestly, it still makes Kakashi sick to the stomach to learn that one of Konoha's most renowned clans have been abusing their children just because they have an ability that they don't understand.

He had tried to fulfil Obito's trust and faith in him by raising his little sister the best he could. Even after the Kyuubi attack that had robbed Minato-sensei of his life and leaving his only child an orphan, Kakashi had tried.

He felt guilty that he couldn't be there for Noriko—Minato and Kushina's precious little girl, but he knew that if he started spending too much time with the little redhead, the villagers are going to start figuring things out, and in turn, Minato's enemies are going to know that the famous Yellow Flash had a child.

"Kakashi." A baritone voice greeted him, and Kakashi turned only to see the current Nara clan head standing behind him.

"Commander." Kakashi greeted the head of Konoha's jounin forces. "Who are you picking up today?" He asked curiously.

"My nephew—my brother's son." Shikaku answered, a small sad smile gracing his features at the thought of his late brother and his wife who were both killed during the later years of the war during one of the last campaigns when Iwa was desperate, thus leaving the couple's then three-year-old son an orphan.

Shikaku and his new wife have then both taken in the child, and when Yoshino was pregnant, the couple was quick to include the child in all the planning and the decorating of the nursery, hoping that the child would be a big brother to his future little brother or sister.

"I see." Kakashi inclined his head.

"Time flies, huh?" Nara Shikaku mused. As long term allies and friends with the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, the Nara clan was 'in the know' about Obito's little sister and her 'condition' as Yamanaka Inoichi had been the one to teach her to control this ability—especially as the current Yamanaka clan head's mother had been the last known exorcist in the clan. "So she's six now. Same age as my Ren. I wonder if they'll somehow be genin teammates once they graduate. It'll be a first however—an Uchiha teammate to a Nara."

"She wasn't raised as an Uchiha, commander." Kakashi was quick to interject, not wanting the village's shinobi forces' prejudice against the Uchiha clan to spread to the child that he is caring for and had seen as his little sister ever since Obito had left her to his care.

And honestly, Kakashi couldn't blame the village's shinobi.

Maybe once upon a time, the Uchiha clan is full of honour and were widely respected—as in history, they were one of the clans that had helped to found the village and had helped to create the village's shinobi system and their security. But sometime between the Second and Third Shinobi Wars, the Uchiha clan had fallen from grace and had lost their pride, with majority of them becoming nothing more than glorified thieves. Kakashi knew for one that many Uchihas have fallen during the war due to their arrogance in believing that their bloodline limit makes them invincible.

When Obito had given his Sharingan eye to Kakashi when he had died, the silver haired shinobi had swore before the memorial stone that he would never be a thief and dishonour his comrades by stealing their hard earned techniques. Besides, Kakashi knew that the Uchiha child with him didn't like him using the Sharingan too much as it exhausts him too much—not just because that is her brother's eye.

"I know that." Shikaku smiled at Kakashi. "Don't be so troublesome. I watched the child grow up, remember? I was one of her frequent babysitters when Inoichi is busy with the T&I department, and you are away on missions."

Kakashi gave a small smile beneath his mask.

"I wonder if this is what Obito had to put up with all the time?" Kakashi mused, running a hand through his perpetually messy silver hair. "It isn't easy to raise a child especially as I'm only a couple of years older than her, but she isn't really a child for awhile now."

Shikaku frowned. "The Uchiha giving you trouble?" he semi-growled. There'll be consequences if that clan of thieves had been bothering his pseudo niece just because of something she couldn't control…

"Nothing that I can't handle." Kakashi shook his head.

Thankfully, his reputation during the war had served as a pretty good deterrent for any Uchiha seeking his little sister harm. In fact, the  _only_  Uchiha whom Kakashi knew adores his little sister is just that Shisui kid whom Kakashi knew is actually Obito's second or third cousin.

And then again, Shisui is unlike all the other Uchihas whom he knew. It also helps that Shisui is still an Academy student too, and is way too independent to be controlled. It also helps that Shisui's father had never treated Obito or his sister badly when he was still alive, and had actually been the right hand of Senju Tobirama back in the day.

And in a classic nine-year-old fashion just the other day, Uchiha Shisui had actually proclaimed her ability to see and talk to the dead 'cool' and had even innocently asked her if she could see his late father.

Honestly, most of the snide remarks and sneers from the Uchiha is mainly because a Sharingan currently resides in Kakashi's eye socket. But as Obito and his sister are no longer considered members of the Uchiha clan at the point when he had given Kakashi his Sharingan, and the Sandaime Hokage had personally placed both Uchiha siblings under the protection of the Hokage himself, there isn't anything that the Uchiha clan could do. It also helps that Kakashi's teacher had also been Namikaze Minato.

"Inoichi wants to know when he can have her over though." Shikaku said suddenly, recalling the message that his old friend wants him to pass to Kakashi should he meet the silver haired prodigy at the Academy. It has to be a first—for the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans to interact with an Uchiha and see her as family. And then again, she isn't raised as an Uchiha anyway. "He said that Ino-chan is asking for her 'big sister', and wanted 'Yu-nee-chan' to read to her the story of the Rabbit and the Moon."

"This weekend probably." Kakashi said after a slight pause. "I have a border patrol mission this weekend, so I'll need someone to watch her anyway."

Nara Shikaku was about to say something when the doors of the Academy swung opened, and the students filed out, all babbling to the dozen the instant that they caught sight of their parents—chatting excitedly about their first day, and what they have learned.

"Oji-san!" Kakashi watched with a small hidden smile as a small redhead with messy hair sticking up in every direction approached Shikaku, with a bright smile on his face. That must be Shikaku's nephew. "Can my new friends come over to play?" He asked Shikaku eagerly, unknowingly using the dreaded Puppy Dog Eyes no Jutsu on his uncle.

"Well… I guess it wouldn't hurt." Shikaku mused. "Who are they?"

"Ren!" Kakashi watched, amused, as a small girl around the same age as Shikaku's nephew with dark brown hair and eyes approached the red haired Nara, a small pout that looks cute on her face. "You left us behind!"

"Sorry, Hinami-chan." Ren apologised. He then turned back to his amused uncle before the two jounins stiffened as they saw a small girl with raven black hair reaching to a little below her shoulders approaching their group, with a small boy with raven black hair tied back in a ponytail following her. Both children's features are obviously Uchiha—with the high cheekbones and ebony black hair and fair skin. "Oji-san, these are my new friends."

"Saito Hinami." The brunette girl curtsied to Shikaku daintily. "Nice to meet you, Nara-sama."

"You already know me, so I'll skip the introductions." The Uchiha girl said cheekily, and Shikaku snorted whilst Kakashi smiled beneath his mask.

"Uchiha Itachi." Kakashi stiffened when the Uchiha heir spoke. He cursed for the hundredth time for not checking the Academy ledger when he'd enrolled his little sister into the Academy. To think that she's in the same class as the Uchiha heir!

"I'll come and pick you up at the Nara estate around dinner time." Kakashi told the small Uchiha girl who nodded eagerly, smiling up at her big brother. "Be good."

"I always am." The small girl almost pouted at her brother who chuckled.

Kakashi ruffled her hair affectionately before he then nodded politely to Shikaku who had started herding the group of children towards the direction of the Nara estate.

"I'll see you later, Yuri!"

Kakashi then turned to head towards the Hokage Tower before his eyes went upwards towards the tree bough above his head—a black and white wagtail with red eyes was perched on the tree bough, watching Uchiha Yuri intently.

Kakashi then frowned, as wagtails aren't commonplace within Fire Country. And even so, this is the first time that he had seen a wagtail with red eyes.

… _Power comes at a price. And so do wishes—_

— _You will lose your magic, yet possibly gain more power than what you had now—_

— _You will also know pain and suffering unlike any other—_

The wagtail's red eyes glowed for just a moment before it spread its wings, tailing the group of children with the Nara clan head, its attention fixated on the small Uchiha girl amongst their midst.

He can sense it.

The soul of his  _master._

… _My master… I have come to you. And no matter the cost, I_ _ **will**_ _protect you._


	3. Guardians From the Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri meets someone from a long distant past that starts teaching her to control her ability.

Uchiha Itachi winced as his stomach let out a loud growl from hunger even as he sat beneath the pine tree in the Academy grounds. Why of all days must it be on his first day at the Academy that he forgot his lunch?

He was eagerly waiting for this day for ages, though he is sad to leave his baby brother behind, since not a day passed by when he hadn’t spent time with the little toddler who adores his big brother and obviously thinks that Itachi hung the moon and stars. 

Itachi had heard so much from Shisui about what he’d learned from the Academy since he’d first started, and the Uchiha heir actually secretly hoped that the Academy would be the one place where he won’t be held on a pedestal and treated as a genius like how his clan did. Whenever he succeeded at something, it will be thought of as natural, and if he failed, he will be seen as a disappointment. Shisui is the only one whom actually treats Itachi as a normal boy, and that is only part of the reason why Itachi prefers the older boy’s company to anyone else.

Unfortunately for Itachi however, he quickly found out less than an hour into the first day that the Academy staff and most of the students placed him on a pedestal like how his clan did. The Uchiha was however surprised when roll call came and Hisagi-sensei called out ‘Uchiha Yuri’ just after his name.

His eyes had immediately located the small girl who is even shorter than him with ebony black hair that reaches to a little below her shoulders and unusual emerald green eyes, with obviously Uchiha features—with the high cheekbones and pale skin. She is seated in between a redhead who is obviously a Nara as he bore a great resemblance to the current Nara clan head, and a girl with dark brown hair that reaches a little below her shoulders and dark brown eyes.

Itachi knew of that Uchiha girl—every single person in the Uchiha clan does.

Hell, _everyone_ in the village knew who she is, as there is quite a scandal when Uchiha Obito had actually removed himself and his sister from the clan three years ago and had seek out the Hokage’s protection from the clan’s abuse of his sister. 

The Uchiha clan’s standing had actually taken quite a nosedive in the eyes of the village’s shinobi who were beyond disgusted that an entire clan had taken to abuse a two-year-old for something she couldn’t help.

Shisui had actually told Itachi of the unbiased version of the entire tale surrounding Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Yuri when Itachi had seek him out to practice his target practice a few months ago.

And to say that Itachi was horrified was an understatement. He still don’t understand what ability is so bad that caused the entire clan as a whole to abuse a child around his age, but he is mature enough to understand that Obito obviously understands just how bad it is for him to self-exile himself and his sister from the clan when he is still in the Academy and went straight to the Hokage for help.

Hell, if Sasuke was ever abused by his clan and parents for something he couldn’t help, Itachi would likely do the same thing too.

And clearly, it seems that Yuri actually clicked with her two new seatmates, as the trio were getting along like a house on fire under the oak tree, sharing their bentos and talking excitedly with each other. Or rather, Ren and Hinami were the ones talking. Yuri was just listening to them talk with a smile on her face.

Itachi watched wistfully at this scene.

“What are you doing here, Itachi?” A voice asked just then, and Itachi turned only to see Shisui’s grinning face. A growl from Itachi’s stomach betrayed his hunger just then, and he blushed as Shisui raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you eaten?” Shisui asked, bewildered.

“I…forgot my bento.” Itachi murmured absently.

Shisui sighed. “I’ll share mine with you. I made enough,” he said. He then raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you made any friends in your class? It’s your first day in the Academy.” Itachi shook his head sadly. Shisui hmmed and pulled Itachi to his feet. “Come on.”

“Where are we going, Shisui?” Itachi asked, even as Shisui dragged him along by clasping his fingers around Itachi’s wrist—but not so tightly that it hurts him.

“Helping you make some friends.” Shisui answered cheerfully, dragging Itachi towards the direction where Uchiha Yuri is sitting with Nara Ren and Saito Hinami. 

“But—”

“Itachi, Yuri won’t judge you. As long as you’re not one of those idiots in the clan that tried to hurt her. If you do so, Yuri doesn’t need to do anything. Kakashi-san would skin you alive before ordering his ninken to eat you.” Shisui answered cheerfully, since he’d seen first hand of how vicious the Copycat is whenever he caught some idiot trying to harm his sister. The worst was nearly a year back when Shisui had been playing with Yuri in the apartment that Kakashi shares with Yuri, and some fool of an Uchiha had tried to kill the younger girl when Shisui had to go to the bathroom for a few moments. Kakashi wasn’t pleased. “Besides…” Shisui glanced at Itachi. “I hope to bring her back to the clan one day. As long as those in our generation doesn’t take the bigoted and narrow-minded values of the previous generation. But by the looks of things, it won’t be anytime soon.” Shisui sighed. “Itachi, you’re a smart kid. Make your own judgments and your own opinions. Things are never really as it seems.” He said mysteriously.

Itachi nodded mutely even as Shisui led him to the group of three who looked up as one when they saw the older boy. Yuri gave Shisui a small smile whilst the other two merely looked curious.

“Heya kids. Mind if I join you?” Shisui asked cheerfully. “And do you mind if my cousin joins us? He hasn’t had lunch, you see?”

Nara Ren grinned up at Shisui. Unlike the rest of his clan, he doesn’t take every moment he has to sleep, much to his aunt and adopted mother’s relief. Even still, he seems to have inherited the Nara clan’s laziness, though not as much as compared to his uncle and adopted father, and apparently his nearly two-year-old cousin who seems to love sleeping every chance he gets.

“Shisui-san! Please do!” Ren grinned, with Ren and Hinami having met Shisui earlier when they were just released for lunch, and the older boy had came hunting Yuri down to make sure that no one is giving her trouble, as there were two other Uchiha children in the other first year class.

“I know you.” Saito Hinami said as she laid eyes on Itachi. “You’re in our class. Uchiha Itachi.”

“Nice to meet you.” Itachi murmured, surprised that Hinami didn’t call him ‘the genius Uchiha’, since honestly, that is the first word out of every single person’s mouth the moment that they met him.

Yuri only raised a brow before glancing at Shisui who nodded and she nodded back—a message passed between them with just a few looks alone.

It has been that way since forever. Even before Obito had died, Shisui is the only person in the entire village outside of Team Minato, the Hokage, and the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi clans who even gave a damn about them. Shisui’s father, Uchiha Kagami did too—in fact, the man is the one who had copied Uchiha jutsu scrolls and Sharingan training scrolls for Yuri, and later Kakashi when Obito had given his teammate his Sharingan eye, and had asked Shisui to be the messenger. Kagami had even protected his son from being discovered.

Itachi smiled a small smile, indulging himself in his little fantasy that they are his friends, and he is just a normal boy—with no high expectations and such to live up to. He can just be himself.

The Uchiha heir then blinked as a hand holding a piece of onigiri appeared in his vision. He looked up only to see Uchiha Yuri holding it out to him. “You hadn’t eaten, right?” she asked quietly. “You can have it.”

Itachi stared at the outstretched hand for several moments before he took it. “…Thank you,” he mumbled, chewing at the onigiri slowly, mindful of his manners.

“Here are some more if you like.” Yuri said, pushing a green banana leaf on which laid two more pieces of onigiri. “I made some extra for myself and nii-chan today.”

Shisui smiled to himself at that. He hoped inwardly that this would just be the thing that will bring Itachi out of his shell and become his own person. “So what have you done in class today?” The older boy turned to the other two kids.

Itachi chewed slowly on his onigiri as he watched Uchiha Yuri intently—even as she smiled and laughed at some of her friends’ antics. He, being the Uchiha heir had often eaten meals fit for kings.

But right now, he felt as if he had never eaten anything more delicious than the onigiri currently in his hand.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

“How on earth did you get yourself tangled with the _Uchiha heir_ of all people anyway?” Hatake Kakashi was wondering that evening as he picked up Yuri at the Nara estate at dinnertime like he’d promised. He’d learnt early on from Obito even before he had died to _never ever_ break a promise with Yuri. “And why is he your classmate to begin with?”

Yuri shot Kakashi an annoyed look. “Like I know,” she huffed. _“I_ don’t make the decisions for the Academy class placements. Besides, Itachi isn’t really that bad. He’s kind of quiet though. But I think it’s because he doesn’t really know how to interact with others. Shisui told me that even within the Uchiha clan, no one outside of Shisui and his parents really interacts with him much. The other clan children are really intimidated by how advanced and skilled he is. They are jealous of him too, from what Shisui said.” She added absently, trying to imagine just how lonely a life that Itachi had led up to now.

Sure, she is all alone too ever since her brother had passed away when she is just about three or four. But she had Kakashi and his friends, and even Shisui who had started visiting her long before Obito had passed away—with the mischievous boy being a big fan of her brother for some reason. And now that she’d started at the Academy, she had made some friends, the most prominent ones being Ren and Hinami and even Itachi.

Kakashi was silent for several moments, with the setting sun casting long shadows on the pavement even as they walked towards the ninja residential district where they had their apartment.

He knows that not all Uchihas are bad.

Obito, Shisui and Kagami being prime examples of it. But he had the all-Uchihas-are-bad message solely ingrained in his mind since the first Uchiha attack on Yuri after Obito had passed away and the green-eyed child was given into his guardianship.

Kakashi was still grieving over Obito’s death at that time and had clung onto Yuri as his last remaining reminder of his best friend. Thus, the Copycat wasn’t very gentle with those Uchihas and had sent them to the Hokage with broken bones.

Needless to say, the Sandaime Hokage was far from pleased that a child was almost harmed. In fact, he was _so_ furious that even Uchiha Fugaku didn’t dare to protest when the Hokage had ordered his ANBUs to arrest those Uchihas and sentenced them to the shinobi maximum prison for twenty years with their chakra and Sharingan sealed.

It didn’t help that Yuri was only about three or four at that time, and thus, was absolutely _terrified._ Kakashi actually had to have the little girl sleep with him in his bed until her nightmares are gone, with Yamanaka Inoichi having to counsel the little girl over the ordeal.

“If you’re sure.” Kakashi said at last, knowing Yuri to be an excellent judge of character. And honestly, with her ability to speak to and see the dead, she has an insight into people that most wouldn’t have. “I heard from the Hokage that two other Uchiha children are in the other first year class. They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?” He asked, making a mental note to ‘talk’ to the Uchiha clan head if Yuri should so much as frown if he asked her if there’s any trouble from anyone with the last name of Uchiha.

“No.” Yuri shook her head, much to Kakashi’s relief. “Shisui has been looking out for me.” She added, missing the sad expression in Kakashi’s sole visible eye even as the teen dropped his hand onto Yuri’s head as a comforting gesture.

This shouldn’t be happening. 

Obito should still be here—with him being the one with Yuri—to take her to and fro from school. To someday be the one that potential boyfriends would approach to date his little sister—with _Obito_ being the one to go all big brother on them. The small Uchiha shouldn’t be watching her back and neck for attacks from _members of her own fucking clan!_ The village should be _safe_ for her—with no need for Yuri to be on her guard 24/7 whenever she walked out into the streets.

Honestly, Kakashi is starting to think that save for a few Uchihas like Obito, Shisui, Shisui’s father and perhaps Itachi, all the other Uchihas are beyond saving.

Yuri then stopped in her tracks just then, staring at a small booth that seems to be some kind of book booth being tended to by a street vendor.

Konoha tends to get merchants and street vendors from outside who often entered the ninja village to peddle their wares. Several of Konoha’s inhabitants—often ninjas, often sold them their wares that they got from outside, like animal skins and such, and in return, the street vendors sold them their own wares at a cheaper price.

Yuri stared at the vendor for a long time, curious green eyes staring at the stack of books that she could see. Kakashi gave a small smile. It could be that Yuri is just lonely or something, but the small child often occupied her time with books whenever Kakashi is away on missions and often either had one of his friends or the Yamanaka clan to watch her, with him still leaving one of his ninken to watch over her.

“Want to go and take a look?” Kakashi asked Yuri who nodded eagerly and ran over to the booth as fast as her short legs could carry her.

The taller teen then followed his sister who is just standing on her tiptoes so that she could look over the booth, examining all the books displayed. The vendor is an extremely beautiful woman with red hair that made Kakashi sad for a moment, with the red hair reminding him of his sensei’s late wife. Curiously, a young falcon was perched on a stand inside the booth, eyeing the two customers curiously with its golden eyes. The bird seems young—probably just past the stage of an infant, as it seems awfully curious and isn’t wary of humans at all.

“Good evening.” The vendor greeted with a small smile on her lips. “Have you seen anything you like?”

“Oh no. I’m not the one looking for books. It’s for my sister.” Kakashi interjected hastily, placing a hand on his sister’s shoulder who practically had stars in her eyes as she eyed all the books. “Is this your first time in Konoha? I don’t remember seeing a book booth before. It’s pretty unusual, as most of the inhabitants in Konoha generally goes more for clothes and weapons and even rare plants rather than books.”

“Yes. One of the regular merchants that comes to Konoha every six months mentioned your village to me, so I thought that I’ll try my luck.” The woman smiled. “Small children generally like picture books, so…” She trailed off.

Whilst the one adult and one pre-teen were talking, Yuri was examining all the titles of the books on display.

Obito had found out really quickly, especially when Yuri had started to walk and talk that she had an almost photographic memory and could remember things that she had only seen once. And the first time he had taken her to his team training session, she had merely watched how Kakashi had molded his chakra and tried to mimic him. Obito had groaned upon seeing it, and muttered something about another genius, much to Minato and Rin’s amusement.

Privately however, Obito would rather that his sister learns things fast, as it might just enable her to learn how to protect herself faster, as he couldn’t be with her all the time. 

The green-eyed child then looked up just in time to see a black shadow standing behind the street vendor before disappearing again. Yuri turned her attention back towards the books in front of her.

She knew what she’d just seen. She’d seen them hundreds of times.

Inoichi-san had taught her how to control her spiritual ability ever since she was about three after all. He had even told her what that is. And when Reina-san was still alive, the Yamanaka matriarch—Inoichi’s mother had actually told her solemnly that even as exorcists, they couldn’t help every spirit. Generally, they leave most of the spirits in Konoha alone until they sense that they’re close to being an evil spirit or something similar.

Even so, until Yuri, Reina-san had been the Yamanaka clan’s last exorcist, and had often been the one to lead the Cleansing Ceremony during the Six Scripted Lantern Festival held every year.

Before the woman had passed away, she had taught Yuri what to do during that festival just in case she ever died, as it is only known to the Yamanaka clan and the Hokage and his closest advisors that the Cleansing Ceremony is extremely important—as it is a ceremony held to cleanse the negativity and the dark emotions of the spirits inhabiting Konoha. And if those spirits wish it, it is also the one day of the year that a gate will open to lead them to the afterlife. 

Obito had even explained to Yuri once she’s old enough to understand to not speak about her ability to anyone, as most people wouldn’t understand it, and would label her a freak. Yuri at least understands that much, as it is as much the reason why their own clan had abused both siblings—Obito because he had tried to protect his own sister, and Yuri for possessing an ability that they don’t understand. 

Later on, when Yamanaka Inoichi and Yamanaka Reina have started teaching her to control her ability, Yuri understood the reason why the Yamanaka clan kept the spiritual aspect of their clan hidden as well.

 _‘I wonder what happened to him?’_ Yuri wondered absently, having seen a sad look in the eyes of the spirit with black hair and eyes as he eyed the vendor before disappearing before Yuri could take a further look. The small child’s eyes then landed on a bunch of spiritual books and exorcism.

Out of curiosity, she then picked up the book atop the pile and flipped through it. To her astonishment, it has extremely detailed descriptions and such about exorcism and rituals, and the effects and what would happen. Reina-san had only gotten a little into exorcism and rituals before she had died, and even her son doesn’t know a lot about exorcisms as he isn’t an exorcist, though like majority of his clan, he _can_ see spirits.

“Are you interested in it?” The vendor asked Yuri suddenly, and the little girl looked up in surprise only to see the woman looking at her gently. “Can you see them?”

Kakashi can only stare, as this isn’t exactly a question that most would ask these days. “Can you?” Kakashi asked carefully, sounding the woman out. The last thing that he needs is for Yuri’s ability to be broadcasted all over the village. 

“Yes.” The woman nodded. “I can. I used to do exorcisms as well. I stopped awhile back.” She smiled at Yuri. “You got a strong spiritual sense. The beings of the other world will be attracted to you, no matter what. You have to be careful, or you might end up being possessed.” She warned.

Kakashi felt his heart turn cold. Reina-san did warn him about this before she had died—that those with an unusually strong spiritual sense are also often exorcists, and before they learned to control this ability, spirits will often possess them.

“Is there any way…?”

“Not if you’re talking about shutting off her ability.” The woman cut in. “But… I _can_ teach her how to control her ability, and even how to exorcise spirits.” She looked at Kakashi. “This child needs to learn how to control her abilities. As far as I’m aware, the last known exorcist in this village had been Yamanaka Reina who had passed away during the war. I’m actually surprised that the child hadn’t been possessed yet, with how strong that her ability is.”

Kakashi hesitated before he looked down at Yuri who is looking at him hopefully. Whether he likes it or not, he knew from Inoichi-san that Yuri needs to learn how to control her abilities in a way that neither Kakashi nor Inoichi can teach her. Inoichi had tried his best—he knew from his mother how dangerous it could be if someone who is spiritually strong couldn’t control their abilities and end up possessed or worse. But even still, Inoichi can only see spirits. He couldn’t exorcise them the way his mother could.

“Well, Yuri does need to learn how to control her spiritual ability in a way that I can’t teach her.” Kakashi said, giving in at last. “But you won’t be around for long, right?”

“I’ll be gone in a month.” The vendor smiled. “Why don’t you come by on Friday, Saturday and Sunday?” She asked Yuri who nodded eagerly. “I’ll teach you what you need to know.” She looked at Kakashi’s worried expression and smiled. “I won’t push her too hard, don’t worry. What’s your name?” She directed this question at Yuri.

“Yuri.”

The woman smiled. “What a coincidence. My name actually means ‘Yuri’ in another language too. But I guess you can call me ‘Yuki’ for now. I’ll see you this Friday.” 

Any doubts that Kakashi ever had were washed away almost immediately just seeing the smile on Yuri’s face. 

And on the bird stand within the booth, the young falcon cawed almost as if it was laughing at Kakashi.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

For a month after that, Kakashi barely saw Yuri anymore, unless he is extremely lucky not to get missions during weekdays. Kakashi was actually sad for a moment, as the little girl doesn’t seem to need him anymore, but he comforted himself by telling himself that Yuri is still finding her own feet and growing stronger.

Yuri had gotten on like a house on fire with Ren, Hinami and surprisingly, Uchiha Itachi—much to Kakashi’s surprise and Shisui’s delight. The older boy had helped Itachi by keeping his friendship with Yuri a secret, as he knew just what the clan thinks of Yuri, and he has no wish to have the assassination attempts or attacks on Yuri beginning again. 

Yuri had made friends with the rest of her class as well, and her classmates all liked her, as she’s easy to get along with, and even though along with Itachi, Ren and Hinami, is one of the four proclaimed ‘geniuses’ of the Academy, she had never lorded it over them. Even still, Ren, Hinami and Itachi are still the ones that she hung out with the most.

After the Academy had finished for the day can usually find the four children training by themselves either in the Academy training grounds or in the Nara training area. Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi and even Kakashi had often helped them by offering training tips or even correcting their stance. Shisui had often come by to join them too. 

Fridays and weekends could find Yuri heading to the street vendor where the woman will promptly close up shop for the day and teach Yuri everything that she knew about her spiritual abilities and even exorcism rituals. Yuri had learnt from Yuki-san how to exorcise spirits and even draw up spirit wards and barriers, and even how to make contact with them. The woman had even taught Yuri how to cleanse a place from spiritual influences and how to rid either a place or a person of curses, and even how to draw spiritual ofudas.

The spiritual training had a positive effect on Yuri in that she isn’t so afraid anymore of the things and the ‘monsters’ that only she could see. Before, she tend to pretend that she couldn’t see them as she passed by one on the street, even if the spirit kept calling out to her.

And with encouragement from Shisui, Kakashi, Shikaku, Yoshino and even Inoichi, Yuri had finally found the courage one day to tell her best friends about her spiritual ability and where she disappeared to every Friday, Saturday and Sunday whenever they tried to seek Yuri out for either training or to play. 

It was actually the first time that Kakashi had seen his little sister so afraid, as she had hid behind Shisui and clutched at his sleeve the entire time she was telling her wide-eyed audience what she could do and see.

And of course, after all, that spiritual ability is what had caused the Uchiha clan as a whole to abuse her as a young child until Obito had enough and had taken his sister away from the clan. Probably, part of Yuri’s very young mind still associated her spiritual ability with bad things happening, and she feared that her new friends would abandon her like how her clan did.

Surprisingly, the first question out of Ren’s mouth was, ‘So can you see my parents?’ in an extremely serious tone for a six-year-old.

Shisui had roared with laughter at that, as that is as much his reaction when he’d first learnt about Yuri’s ability. The other two six-year-olds had actually laughed too, even the usually stoic Itachi who is gradually learning how to smile and laugh—though the only person he would smile at is just Yuri.

Yuri was also really starting to get attached to her temporary teacher, and was sad that she had to leave soon. The end of the month came too soon for her liking even as Yuki-san tested Yuri everything that she had taught the little girl. 

“I taught you everything that you need to know. You should be fine now.” Yuki said with a smile. “Take this as a souvenir.” She gave Yuri a worn looking thick black tome. “I used that book during my starting days as an exorcist. And this.” Yuki untied a black rope bracelet with a tiny charm hanging from it around her left wrist, tying it around Yuri’s small left wrist. “It should ward off any possession attempts.”

Yuri nodded, feeling sad that this is really the last time she would be with her ‘teacher’. “Thank you for everything, Yuki-sensei.”

Yuki smiled. “Don’t thank me,” she said, ruffling Yuri’s hair with affection. “Be a good shinobi and protect your home. That’ll be enough payment for me.”

“Can’t you stay?” Yuri pleaded, and Yuki shook her head.

“Sorry. I have other places to be.” Yuki said with a sad smile. “But Yuri, remember this. The ones we miss are never truly gone. They will always be there—” She pointed at Yuri’s chest, “—in our hearts.”

Yuri looked solemn. The Hokage and even Kakashi have told her the same thing once when her brother had passed away. Kakashi had taken her to the cemetery every single year on her brother’s death anniversary where they would spend the entire day. It had soon become their routine. 

“I think I understand.” Yuri nodded, and Yuki smiled.

There was a knock on the door just then, and Kakashi’s voice echoed through. “Yuri? Yuki-san? I’ve come to pick Yuri up.”

Yuki laughed. “The door’s unlocked, Hatake-kun,” she called out and smiled down at the small girl. “Well, this is it. Make your name known as a ninja, Yuri. I will hear of you.”

Yuri smiled and nodded before hugging the black tome to her chest and running to her smiling brother who had came to pick her up like he did after every single one of her ‘lessons’. Kakashi bowed politely to Yuki before taking Yuri’s hand and the two siblings then left.

Yuki sighed before she turned to the bird stand in a corner where a black and white wagtail was perched on it beside the young falcon, both birds watching her intently. “…Thank you for allowing me to meet with my daughter for the last time,” she said politely. “It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t remember me any longer. As long as I know that she’s alive and doing well…” She trailed off. “At least this time, she had friends and someone whom cares for her. I thank you for this.” Yuki said, a small sad smile on her face.

 _…It’s time for me to collect._  

Yuki nodded slowly. “I know,” she said. “I can tell Sirius, Remus, James and Severus that she’s doing fine in her new life. Please watch over her.” She pleaded before the wagtail’s red eyes glowed in affirmative. Yuki then turned towards the young falcon next to the wagtail who chirped at the red haired woman. “Stay with her, Hedwig.” Yuki whispered. “Protect my baby.” 

Yuki then closed her eyes slowly before a bright burst of light poured out from her body and she then dispersed into hundreds of white glowing balls before vanishing entirely—along with the entirety of her ‘house’—looking as if the place had been abandoned for years.

The falcon trilled dolefully, its large golden eyes eyeing the location where Lily Potter had once stood—the spirit of a mother who had came back to visit her daughter for the last and final time.


	4. Uchiha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri's problems with the Uchiha clan is further explained. Meanwhile, Itachi seems to be getting upset with his clan.

"Yuri-nee! Have you come to play with me?" An excited three-year-old toddler with dark brown hair and eyes crashed straight into Uchiha Yuri, nearly knocking her over the moment that she'd entered the Higurashi Weapons Store—a shinobi-run weapons store that nearly every single ninja in Konoha goes to stock their weapons.

 _Nearly,_ because the owner of the Higurashi Weapons Store had plain out refused to serve any ninja with the last name of Uchiha for the past four years, thus forcing the Uchiha ninjas to go to the other weapons store in Konoha for their needs that is actually more expensive, with the weapons' quality not as good as those in the Higurashi Weapons Store.

Uchiha Yuri almost winced as she gently untangled the excited toddler's strong grip around her waist. "Sorry, Tenten-chan. Not today. I'm here to see your dad."

Tenten almost pouted. "Can you play with me after that then?" she pleaded with glistening eyes.

Yuri smiled, already immune to the infamous Puppy Dog Eyes no Jutsu, seeing as how Ino-chan often used it on her 'Yu-nee-chan' whenever the blonde toddler wanted Yuri to stay the night at the Yamanaka house or even read her another story. Thankfully, Shikamaru and Chouji aren't as demanding, but even still, whenever Yuri has to babysit the trio of toddlers, it is enough to tire her out.

"We'll see," she said, patting Tenten on the head, and the little girl went racing off towards the back where her mother presumably is.

Higurashi Keiji who is manning the counter of the weapons' store chuckled as his unofficial student approached him, and hopped up on the stool—as she is still a little too short to be able to see over the top of the counter.

"Ten-chan sure does love you, Yuri," he beamed, clearing away the numerous kunais that he had been polishing.

Yuri smiled, but said nothing.

Higurashi Keiji had been Yuri's unofficial sealing teacher in the sealing arts, having retired as a ninja after he had suffered grievous injuries during the Kyuubi attack to be able to function as a ninja any longer. He had actually been Namikaze Minato's old genin teammate, and is every bit as renowned as him as a seals' master. The man had actually been a specialist in weapons and seals, and had actually assisted Minato with the design of the Shiki Fuuin that had turned Minato's only daughter into a Jinchuuriki.

In fact, as far as Yuri knows, Keiji-san is the only one apart from maybe the Ichiraku ramen chef who actually watches out for Noriko and does what they can for her. And apart from maybe Kakashi, Yuri, the remaining two Sannins and the Hokage as well as his advisors, Keiji-san is probably the only person in the entire village who knew that the little tiny blonde is the Fourth Hokage's only daughter.

Funny how an entire village is blind to everything that lies beneath their nose.

Due to Yuri's association with Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina since she was young, she was acquainted with Keiji as well, and sometime along the way, the man had started teaching her about seals. Surprisingly, she had taken to it like a duck to water. Hence, this is what started the weekly lessons since Yuri had started at the Academy.

"All right." Keiji pulled out a notebook from his side of the counter, opening it to a page filled with numerous seals drawn on it, even as Yuri opened her own notebook. "Shall we begin?"

Yuri nodded eagerly. She always enjoyed learning new things, and enjoyed her weekly trips to the Higurashi Weapons Store for her unofficial lessons. Kakashi who was acquainted with Keiji due to his sensei was also pleased to see that Keiji had gotten his old drive and energy back ever since becoming Yuri's unofficial teacher.

Sealing is a difficult art. Keiji should know. He had learned alongside Minato ever since they were genin, and it actually took him _years_ until he became a jounin before he is even considered a seals' master. Thus, he was remarkably surprised when sealing seem to come to Yuri easily. He had even wondered at some point if she didn't have some Uzumaki blood in her.

The weapons master was sad however, at the circumstances surrounding her life. Honestly, back then, if he hadn't met Obito and then Kagami's cheeky son, he would have thought that there isn't a _single_ Uchiha who is decent. When the eleven-year-old Obito had visited Keiji with his little sister after he'd left the Uchiha clan, it actually took Minato, Kushina and his wife to restrain Keiji, and to stop him from going after those bastards after he heard the entire story from Obito, and how Yuri was nearly burned alive by a malicious 'prank' by some Uchiha teens.

"Sometimes, I swear you had some Uzumaki blood in you, with how quickly you picked it up." Keiji grumbled, seeing Yuri write furiously in her notebook. Hell, it had taken him nearly _three years_ to even pick up the basics of fuuinjutsu to even be called competent in it. Having a barely six-year-old pick up the basics and be not just competent in it in just a mere _three months,_ but _extremely proficient_ is quite wounding to his pride.

"Yuri…?" A small voice called out to Yuri just then.

Surprised, both Yuri and Keiji turned only to see an unsure Uchiha Itachi standing at the entrance of the Higurashi Weapons Store, looking from Yuri to Keiji and back again.

Higurashi Keiji frowned. _Everyone_ in Konoha knows that he don't serve anyone with the last name of Uchiha unless your first name is Shisui or Yuri. Some of the Uchiha clan members have actually tried to force the issue in the past, but Keiji had quickly shown why he used to be the Yondaime's right hand before he had to retire due to his injuries.

"Keiji-san." Yuri looked at Keiji with reproachful eyes. "Please. For me?"

Keiji grumbled something beneath his breath, but nodded. He trusted Yuri's judgment in people, as despite her young age, she is incredibly shrewd and has remarkably good instincts.

"What are you doing?" Itachi asked. "And it's unusual to see you alone."

For as long as he'd known Yuri since starting at the Academy six months ago, he always saw Yuri with someone with her.

And he isn't totally naïve as to the reason why either whenever he saw Kakashi-san glaring at anyone with the last name of Uchiha whenever he walks Yuri home from the Academy. And he isn't totally oblivious to how Shikaku-san, Shisui and even Ren and Hinami tend to herd Yuri whenever they finished class at the Academy. Even during break time at the Academy, Yuri is never alone. Ren or Hinami are always with her if Shisui couldn't be. Hell, Hinami even tagged along whenever Yuri has to head to the bathroom as well.

Honestly, Itachi thought that Yuri would have been tired of it, but it seems that it's something that she's entirely used to by now.

"I like some alone time sometimes." Yuri said. "So what are you doing here?"

"Well, I was just taking a walk." Itachi gave a strained smile.

He knew that it's only a matter of time before his father found out about his friendship with Yuri, the nephew and adopted son of the current Nara clan head, and a civilian girl, despite Shisui's best efforts to help Itachi to hide it from Uchiha Fugaku. But considering the fact that there are two other Uchiha children in the other first year Academy class, Itachi knew that it will only be a matter of time before Uchiha Fugaku found out that Itachi is friends with those of 'lower social class'.

Honestly, Itachi doesn't get all the fuss about social class and whatnot anyway. When it comes down to it, what does it matter if one is born to a ninja clan or just some clan-less commoner? When they're dying out on the battlefield whether during missions or during wartime, all that they would be concerned about is whether the person on the battlefield with them is both an ally and _competent_ enough to save their ass. They certainly wouldn't care less if the person is some clan-less commoner or some noble from a ninja clan.

Itachi know for one that Shisui never liked all the hype and importance about social status that the Uchiha clan and the Hyuuga clan places stock in. This is funny, especially since much like Itachi, Shisui hails from the main family of the Uchiha clan. Yuri is too—that is why Itachi found it a little funny that someone whom the Uchiha clan generally treats like kami-sama is treated as a social outcast by the very same clan that places such stock in blood lineage.

Hence why the constant arguments that Itachi had with his father is really taking a toll on him that generally leads him to taking long walks outside. Most of the time, when the arguments got really bad, Itachi doesn't even go home—instead, he crashes over at Shisui's place. The older boy had been living alone ever since the death of his father; hence, he doesn't have any older siblings or parents who would rat him out to Fugaku. Poor Sasuke doesn't even understand why his beloved aniki and his father are constantly arguing, and the constant arguments is doing nothing but upset and confuse the poor toddler.

Yuri glanced at Itachi, but said nothing. The Uchiha heir had a feeling that Yuri probably knew the reason why she had constantly ran into Itachi whenever he's 'taking a walk' whenever she went grocery shopping with one of Kakashi-san's ninken if the young jounin isn't in the village.

Whenever the young jounin had to leave the village on a mission, he generally leaves behind one of his ninken—usually the most ferocious of them, Shiba, to watch over Yuri. Unlike his looks however, Shiba can be really gentle, as he along with his kin have often babysat Yuri since she was little, and all of them adored her—even the grumpy Buru, the largest amongst all of Kakashi's ninken.

It is almost a wonder that Shiba isn't here with Yuri now though.

"…You don't have to pretend with me." Yuri said at last, turning to face Itachi. "At least with me, I don't want you to pretend that you're all right when you're obviously not. Smile if you want to. Scowl if you want to. Get angry if you want to. I won't judge you. If you need to let off some steam, I'll spar with you." She offered. "I don't want you to be someone whom you're not when you're with me. I know that Ren and Hinami doesn't like it too."

Itachi looked surprised before his lips quirked with a small smile. "…You're the only one who can see through me like this," he admitted. "Even Shisui couldn't."

Higurashi Keiji had been listening, and he found himself intrigued by the young Uchiha heir. Uchiha Shisui had often come into his shop with Yuri since before the younger girl had started at the Academy—often with one of Kakashi's ninken in tow, and the older Uchiha youth had often talked about his cousin, and his worries and concerns about Itachi.

"Yuri just has a way of seeing through you, kid." Keiji said, picking up a kunai on the counter in front of him and polishing it. "Don't bother pretending around her. She's a walking lie detector."

Itachi smiled before the smile slid off his face as he saw two Uchiha ninjas walked into the shop—clearly, his father must have sent them after him.

"Uh oh." Itachi heard Yuri mutter next to him, and the smaller and shorter girl started looking for a hiding place. The Uchiha heir swore that he actually heard the sound of a sword sliding from its sheathe somewhere above his head—most likely from Keiji-san.

"Hey freak! What are you doing with our clan heir?" One of the Uchiha ninjas shouted rudely at Yuri who paled, but otherwise kept the blank expression on her face. "Did we give you permission to talk with our clan heir?"

Yuri's eye twitched. "Do I need _your_ permission to talk with _my friend?"_ she retorted, wishing for the umpteenth time that she had kept Shiba with her instead of asking the loyal ninken to stay at the Yamanaka clan house instead of tagging along with her to her lessons with Keiji.

" _Friend?!"_ The other Uchiha ninja growled dangerously. "And since when did we give you permission to talk?"

That apparently is as much as Keiji could handle—listening to them insult the girl whom he looks at as some sort of surrogate daughter or niece. Itachi let out a silent yelp as several kunais immediately peppered the floor where the two Uchiha ninjas are standing, just missing their ninja sandals by a few inches.

Holy…

Higurashi Keiji sure lives up to his reputation as Konoha's greatest weapons' master who _never_ misses a target. It is true that he is retired now, but despite his injuries, he is still fearsome with a blade.

"And since _when_ did Yuri _need_ your permission to talk?" Higurashi Keiji growled, holding a particularly dangerous looking blade in one hand—looking to be just a moment away from leaping over the counter with his sword. Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi spied Keiji's wife and three-year-old daughter at the backroom, with the woman herding her young daughter away, frowns on both their faces. Clearly, this scene is a normal one. "Is she your slave? Are you her masters?" He growled, his eyes glaring daggers at them. "And what are you even doing in my shop? I told you before that you Uchiha ninjas are _not_ welcome here!"

By now, the commotion is attracting quite a bit of attention, as the shop is well in the heart of the commercial district where most of the shops in Konoha are located. And well, to put it bluntly, the Uchiha clan aren't popular with the village ever since the Kyuubi attack when not a single Uchiha ninja had gone to help—something that majority of the village had resented them for. Many Konoha ninjas have actually declared the Uchiha clan as cowards, and as a result, the Military Police are fast losing their standing with the rest of the village.

And not to mention that Obito and Yuri's situation with the Uchiha clan a few years prior didn't really help either. Kakashi's complaints about the Uchiha clan constantly aggravating them and attacking Yuri when they didn't do anything certainly didn't do anything to help the Uchiha clan's already slipping reputation, given the fact that Kakashi is a fairly popular ninja.

Many civilians have actually liked Yuri, as she is nothing like the rest of her stuck up clan (save for a few like Shisui and Itachi), and is nothing but polite to them. As several civilian children were in the Ninja Academy too, they have told their parents about Yuri, and how she had always been nice to them—unlike the other two Uchiha children in the next class.

As _technically,_ Yuri hasn't been part of the Uchiha clan since she was two, the village had no problems with dissociating Yuri with the outcast Uchiha clan despite the young girl still using the Uchiha name. And due to Shisui and Itachi's friendship and interactions with Yuri, the two boys were probably the only ones in the Uchiha clan who weren't treated as an outcast by the rest of the village.

Honestly, most of the problems that Yuri had with the clan is mainly because she's _still_ using the Uchiha name. Several people, Kakashi and his friends included have often wondered why Yuri doesn't just change her last name. Hell, Kakashi is fairly certain that Obito wouldn't have minded. The silver haired youth wouldn't mind either if Yuri wants to use his last name, as Kakashi had long seen Yuri as his little sister, Obito's last request to him or not.

Privately however, Shisui had suspected that it might just be Yuri's own way at pissing off the Uchiha clan. As much like Itachi, Yuri picked things up really quickly, and since starting at the Academy, the two children were neck-in-neck with each other constantly for the position as top of the class.

Hell, from what Shisui knew from Ren and Hinami, the two Uchihas were constantly sharing the top spot of the class with each other, with Ren and Hinami taking third and second respectively. There was even talk amongst the Academy teachers that Hisagi-sensei is considering letting the four children take the accelerated program for the path of early graduation.

"We've come for the Uchiha heir." The other Uchiha ninja said, eyeing the dangerous looking sword in Keiji's hands. Unlike his younger and more hot-headed counterpart, he obviously knew who Keiji is, and how dangerous he could be. "And if I'm you, I would do better than interact with a freak like that!" He sneered at Yuri.

Killing intent filled the shop immediately—so intense that Itachi could barely breathe. Most of the curious civilians standing outside the weapons' shop were glaring at the Uchiha ninjas for their cruel words. Even several of the ninjas passing by seemed to be itching for a fight by this point.

Keiji glared at the two Uchiha ninjas. "Did I teach you how to do your job?" he snapped. And when he got two quick bewildered shakes of the head, his glare intensified. "Well, stop telling me how to do _mine!"_ He snarled. "And I see no freak here. The only freaks here are _you!_ Which inhuman monsters would set upon a two-year-old defenceless child whose only protection is her _eleven-year-old_ brother?! What kind of monsters are you to almost burn an innocent child to death if her brother hadn't came home in the nick of time?" There were lots of murmurs of agreement from the crowd, and Keiji's glare intensifies. "Get out of my shop _now!"_ He growled. "Or my weapons might just find its way into your head! And if you know what's good for you, you will leave Yuri _the fuck alone from now on,_ or I might just slip and tell Kakashi-kun that you've been harassing his little sister."

The two Uchiha ninjas seem to pale, as literally the _entire village_ knew just how thin-skinned that Hatake Kakashi is when it comes to his little sister. The Uchiha clan definitely didn't forget how a furious Hatake Kakashi had set his entire pack upon the unfortunate Uchiha ninja who seemed to have gotten it in his head to attack a then three-year-old Yuri.

Kakashi's ninken didn't show any mercy, especially since the dogs, much like the wolves, were an extremely loyal species, and would willingly die for their family and loved ones. As such, they didn't understand how family could hurt family, and hence, were extremely ferocious with the Uchiha ninja. As far as Itachi remembers, the mentioned Uchiha actually requires some extreme reconstructive surgery due to the damage that Kakashi _and_ his ninken have dealt.

Keiji glared. "Get. Out."

Two ANBUs appeared just then, looking from one to the other, and to Yuri who is practically hiding behind Itachi at this point, clutching at his sleeve. "Higurashi-san, is there trouble?" The bear masked ANBU asked politely.

"Not exactly, ANBU-san." Keiji said, calming down. "Uchiha-san is just leaving. _Aren't you?"_ He added dangerously, glaring at the two after mentioned Uchihas.

"…Kei, let's go." The older Uchiha told his companion before the two turned heel and leave, but not without shooting Keiji and Yuri both dirty looks.

Itachi looked at Yuri, startled to see that she's almost pale. He felt his heart clench, and once more, found hatred for his own family and clan filling his heart once more. How _could_ anyone treat Yuri like this?

Why, she's the gentlest and kindest person that he had ever known! She had always seen him as him, not as the 'Uchiha prodigy'. And so what if she could see and speak to the dead? That isn't exactly an ability to be totally ashamed of! Sure, people with those abilities are seen at as something a little less or a little more than human, but so what? It's just like the Sharingan and its ability to predict and copy moves! It's almost something like a bloodline limit.

Not for the first time, Itachi wished that he wasn't even born an Uchiha.

**XXXXXX**

"Kakashi?"

Fifteen-year-old Hatake Kakashi blinked when he saw Senju Tsunade in front of him, with her apprentice, fourteen-year-old Katou Shizune next to her, with the younger girl having a light blush on her cheeks as she nodded to Kakashi.

"Tsunade-sama? Shizune?"

"What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, confused at having ran into Kakashi in the streets of the capital city of Fire Country as both master and apprentice were looking for an inn to stay the night. "Being this far away from Konoha."

"Well, I've just finished up a mission actually." Kakashi answered, having came to Fire Country with two chuunins to deliver a message to the Fire daimyo. This is also like the trial run for the two chuunins with him to determine if they're ready to be jounins. "We're just going to stay the night here before returning to Konoha tomorrow morning."

"Where are your teammates then?" Shizune asked curiously.

"At the inn." Kakashi answered. "We _did_ run non-stop to the capital since early this morning. I'm sure that they must be exhausted."

"Good. You'll have time to sit and drink with me a bit then." Tsunade said before grabbing a bewildered Kakashi by the arm and dragging him towards the nearest bar, with a sighing Shizune following them.

"T-Tsunade-sama! I'm underage!" Kakashi spluttered. Considering that Kakashi is a jounin that had killed loads of people during the Third Great Ninja War and then the countless missions that he had undertaken for Konoha since the war had ended, it is a little funny to think that the accomplished jounin isn't even old enough to drink yet.

Tsunade gave Kakashi a pointed look, ordering three bottles of sake from the bartender. "If you're old enough to kill, you're old enough to drink and have sex," she said bluntly, with her crude words causing Shizune to blush. "And what are you, a brat? The moment you put on that hitai-ate, you're an adult—recognised by ninja law everywhere."

Kakashi sighed. "Tsunade-sama, I _really_ don't want to suffer from a hangover and delay our return to Konoha," he said earnestly. "I have to get back to my little sister."

Tsunade raised a brow, already pouring herself some sake. "Your sister? Never heard you had one."

"Well…" Kakashi trailed off slowly, finally giving in and taking a saucer of sake from Tsunade, but not quite drinking from it yet. He glanced nervously at Tsunade. "…She's actually Obito's little sister. Yuri. You might remember her." He said quietly.

Tsunade's hand stilled in mid-action over refilling her saucer of sake, her face turning blank whilst Shizune looked upset. The two women _definitely_ remember Yuri. After all, Tsunade had been the one to treat the little two-year-old when Obito had dashed straight into a burning building to save his little sister from being burned to death in a malicious prank committed by some Uchiha teens, bringing her straight to Tsunade who had then been the head of Konoha's hospital, begging the startled Sannin to save his little sister.

It was that incident that made Obito decide to leave the clan entirely with his little sister, and with the Hokage and Tsunade's support, both siblings were made wards of the village. The Uchiha clan was all too agreeable to letting the two siblings go without too many complaints. At least until they realised that the two siblings out of their reach meant that they run a possibility of having a Sharingan user out of their control.

When Obito hadn't activated his Sharingan even when he was thirteen, and a chuunin, the Uchiha clan had assumed that he wouldn't be able to activate it ever. Thus, imagine their fury when Kakashi had returned from a mission during the war with a Sharingan eye in his eye socket—given to him as a gift by the dying Obito who had sacrificed himself to save both his teammates.

If Kakashi's sensei hadn't been the famous Yellow Flash, he would have been lynched alive by the Uchiha clan. As it is, Tsunade actually had to step in at that time to prevent the Uchiha clan from taking Yuri, as that was before Hiruzen had Obito's will read.

Thus, the blonde Sannin was well aware of the problems that the young Uchiha girl had with her old clan.

"Yuri-chan, huh?" Tsunade gave a small quirk of her lips when she remember the shy little toddler that is so sweet and shy that it almost made Tsunade's heart hurt, wondering just how anyone could hurt a child like that. Much like Nara Shikaku and Sarutobi Hiruzen, Senju Tsunade had a soft spot for children, and plain adores them. "How old is she now?"

"Six." Kakashi gave a small smile beneath his mask at that. "She just started at the Academy. Seems to have made fast friends with Shikaku-san's nephew and Saito-san's daughter. The innkeeper of Falling Leaves." Kakashi added when Tsunade looked confused. "It is also a restaurant, and a favourite haunt amongst most of Konoha's ninjas. Yuri had also made fast friends with Itachi-kun as well."

"Itachi? The Uchiha clan heir?" Tsunade frowned, and Kakashi nodded solemnly. The blonde Sannin sighed. "Tell her to be careful, though I seriously doubt that I need to tell her that. That clan still has it out for her for some reason. And even if Uchiha Itachi is different from the rest of his clan like that cousin of his, being friends with the Uchiha clan heir is all the excuse that the clan needs to set their sights on her again." She warned.

"I know. Yuri knows to be careful." Kakashi nodded.

"So…" Tsunade smiled as she looked at Kakashi. "Tell me more about her. What is she doing these days?"

**XXXXXX**

Red eyes scanned the village for his master; the only one whom he had swore he would serve.

He had just _looked away_ for a moment, and his master is _gone!_ Honestly, even if she's a ninja-in-training right now, it doesn't make sense as to how she could slip beneath his senses like that!

A frightened scream rang through the air shrilly even as he flew near the training grounds of the village, and his red eyes flashed murder.

If any fool even dared to lay a finger on his master…

* * *

Yuri coughed out some blood even as she glared at the Uchiha male standing in front of her, ignoring the burning pain in her shoulder where she had just yanked the kunai out.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!" The Uchiha snarled, brandishing a kunai in his hand. "Why Fugaku-sama wouldn't just give the go-ahead for us to finish you off, I would never understand! It'll be over and done with quickly—removing the stain on the Uchiha name!"

"The only stain on the Uchiha name is people like you!" Yuri hissed. "You people are nothing but cowards! You know that you can never stand up to nii-chan, so you choose to attack when he isn't around! Don't think that I didn't notice how those other two Uchihas in the next class 'accidentally' mis-aim during target practice—always coincidentally aiming towards where I am standing!" Yuri glared. "Just what did myself or Obito-nii-san ever did to you anyway? We just want to be left in peace! Is that too much to ask for?"

The Sharingan blazed in onyx eyes, and Yuri refused to cry out even as she was knocked to the ground with a hard punch, thus causing her to see several stars. "No one gave you permission to speak, freak!" The Uchiha hissed. "You shouldn't even be born! Because of _you,_ everyone in the village hates us now! The Hokage and his advisors kept such restraints on us! Even that bastard Danzo kept several pairs of eyes on us and is on us for every single thing! And _it is all your fault!"_

"What a joke." Yuri spat out a mouthful of blood, and judging by the stinging pain in her cheek and on her body, she knew that she's going to get quite a few wonderful bruises the next day. She wouldn't be surprised if Kakashi kept her home for the next week, as she is still quite small and short for her age, and much more fragile than most girls her age. "As far as I know, it has already been going on long before Obito-nii took me away from the clan. Whatever situation that you and that kami accursed clan had landed yourselves in has _nothing_ to do with me! _You_ brought it on yourselves!"

" _How dare you?!"_

Over the enraged Uchiha's shoulder, Yuri's eyes widened when she spotted two feathered creatures swooping down, screeching angrily. The kunai of the Uchiha never made its intended mark—instead, it just grazed past Yuri's cheek, leaving behind a scratch as the Uchiha dropped his kunai with a loud howl.

Blood spurted over the grassy fields of the lonely training ground where the two are at, with the loud howls of the Uchiha adult echoing across the field, with him cradling his right hand where Yuri could see clearly that he is missing two of his fingers—with said fingers now lying severed on the ground—clearly torn clean off his hand by the sharp talons and claws of the wagtail and falcon that have came to her rescue.

Said falcon is now perched on her shoulder, screeching angrily at the Uchiha.

"My hand! My hand!" The Uchiha howled. He turned hatred filled eyes towards Yuri who scrambled backwards, one hand shielding the young falcon perched on her shoulder, not wanting her feathered saviour to come to any harm. "Damn it, you freak! This is all your fault!" He unsheathed his ninjato. "Die—"

Ninja wire then wrapped itself around the Uchiha's body just then, causing him to topple onto the ground. And before Yuri even knew what is going on, Shiranui Genma and Gekkou Hayate landed in front of her.

Yuri knew the two, as they were Kakashi's friends, and he had introduced her to all his friends when he had first gotten guardianship of her. In fact, Genma had often cared for her whenever her regular babysitters aren't available whenever Kakashi had to leave the village. As far as Yuri knew, both Genma and Hayate were part of Namikaze Minato's bodyguard platoon before his death.

"Looks like we made it in time." Hayate wheezed, with a vaguely familiar black and white wagtail with red eyes perched on his shoulder. And Yuri could have sworn that it's her imagination, as the wagtail seemed to glare at the screaming Uchiha, and the young girl could swear that she almost saw what seems to be a personification of the Grim Reaper appearing behind the wagtail for just a moment.

"Are you all right, Yuri?" Genma asked urgently, helping Yuri to sit up, and his usually gentle brown eyes turned cold and unforgiving when he saw the bruises visible on Yuri, and the senbon chewing jounin just _knew_ that Kakashi is going to kick up the mother of all fusses when he returns to the village. "How _dare_ you lay a hand on Yuri!"

"Genma, cool it!" Hayate told his friend, currently busy tightening the ninja wire around the _still_ screaming Uchiha to ensure that he couldn't escape before knocking him out. "Let's bring him to Hokage-sama." His eyes hardened when he saw the bruises visible on Yuri's face. "Yuri, do you need to go to the hospital?"

Yuri was about to shake her head, but she let out a startled squawk when Genma lifted her into his arms easily—just like how Kakashi could always lift her easily. "I'll take her there. Hayate, you deliver this… _piece of shit_ to Hokage-sama." Genma looks as if he is restraining himself from sharpening his sword on the Uchiha.

"Very well." Hayate nodded before he groaned as a sudden thought came to him as he saw Genma carry Yuri and walked towards the direction of the Konoha Hospital as quickly as he could, with a young falcon and the wagtail that had kicked up such a fuss to lead them here earlier both perched on Yuri's shoulders—with the senbon chewing jounin knowing that performing shunshin with an injured child is dangerous to said child. "Oh boy…" Hayate grunted even as he placed the Uchiha over his shoulder, ready to travel over the rooftops to get the Uchiha to the Hokage without any attention on him, "Kakashi is going to _flip_ when he finds out after his mission."

**XXXXXX**

On a rooftop, a pair of red eyes watched from behind a mask as Shiranui Genma carried Uchiha Yuri to the Konoha Hospital, walking as fast as he could. Red eyes hardened when he spotted the multiple bruises and abrasions visible on the child's body and face.

Hands tightened over the hilts of his kunais.

"…Yuri…"


	5. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi explodes upon learning what had transpired whilst he was away.

The Yamanaka residence where Uchiha Yuri had been residing in whilst her adoptive older brother is away on missions got quite a few visitors first thing the next morning.

Needless to say, Yamanaka Inoichi was _furious_ when he got word from Hayate what had happened, and had rushed to the hospital immediately where Genma had been staying with Yuri whilst a medic-nin was looking over the young girl's injuries.

As Yamanaka Inoichi was filed as Yuri's medical proxy in the event if Hatake Kakashi isn't around, with Shiranui Genma and Gekkou Hayate as close seconds, the medic-nin has no issues with filling Inoichi in on everything about Yuri's medical state.

Due to her petite stature that is actually shorter and smaller than most girls her age, with Yuri getting attacked by a full-grown adult that also happens to be a _male adult ninja_ with the intent to _kill,_ she had suffered from three cracked ribs and a pretty bad concussion. There are also hairline fractures down her right arm, with a deep cut on her right cheek that the medic-nin had already fixed.

Hayasakawa Seijo, Yuri's medic-nin that she always sees if she needs to go to the hospital had also advised Inoichi to keep her on bed rest for the next week, and not to strain her brain, as her mind needs to rest. That basically means no reading, no television, and _absolutely_ no training!

That last part had been added with much emphasis, as the exasperated medic-nin knew just what Yuri and Kakashi are both like, along with their friends. Ninjas or even ninjas-in-training seem to think that they're indestructible. Many a time when he had to tie an injured ninja to their bed despite protests that they're _fine._ Fine, his _foot,_ when they had a broken leg or even a broken arm!

Yuri had actually smiled sheepishly when the exasperated Hayasakawa had said that, aiming a glare at the young girl, much to Genma, Hayate and even Inoichi's amusement. The green eyed child could give even Hatake Kakashi a run for his money with how much she trains and studies each day. Though technically, it is also for her safety as there is an entire clan that wants her dead within Konoha's walls. So unlike other children who never had to worry about their safety, it is different for Yuri.

Little Ino-chan was _horrified_ when she and her mother saw her daddy come home later that afternoon carrying Yuri-nee in his arms. Yuri-nee who had thick bandages around her head, with a gauze on her cheek, and with her right arm in a sling. There were even bandages around both her palms. The tiny little blonde had seemed to take it upon herself to nurse her surrogate sister, much to her parents and said surrogate sister's amusement.

Shiba, the ninken that Kakashi had left behind to protect Yuri whenever he is away on missions looked extremely guilt-stricken. He had been cowering in a corner with downed ears and tail, whining sadly, ever since Inoichi had carried Yuri into his house. The poor ninken probably thought that it's his fault that Yuri is hurt this badly.

"Yuri, are you all right?" Inuzuka Hana rushed into the room that Inoichi had set aside for Yuri's usage whenever she stayed with him the next morning—a day after the attack on her. The Inuzuka heiress was ashen-faced, with her three ninken as well as Shisui, Ren, Hinami and Itachi close behind her.

Shisui had introduced Hana to the four younger kids after a week at the Academy, as the Inuzuka girl had been his seatmate in his class, and quickly becoming his best friend. Hana had been very taken with Yuri, as the green-eyed child seems to have quite the affinity with animals. In Inuzuka language, if animals loved a person, that person can't be very bad. Hana had even looked at Yuri as a kind of younger sister, as her younger brother right now is too young to even hold a proper conversation with—being just the age of Ino-chan.

"You look terrible!" Hinami squeaked, her face pale upon seeing the number of bandages on Yuri's person. "Who did this to you?"

Ren and Shisui exchanged looks with each other—they had a pretty good idea who did it. It isn't exactly a secret in the village after all that the Uchiha clan detests Yuri—thinking of her as a stain on their name. Kakashi had even complained to his friends once—not understanding how the clan could come to this conclusion. If anything, their actions towards Yuri is only dirtying their name and reputation _more,_ not cleansing it.

"…Is it my clan?" Itachi asked quietly. As one, five heads swiveled towards the Uchiha heir. Itachi looked angry, upset and guilty all at once. "It is, right?"

"It's not the first time." Yuri shook her head only to regret it instantly, as she only aggravated her headache. She leant back into the pillows set at her back. "I got off fairly lightly this time." None of the remaining five missed the 'this time' in Yuri's words.

Hinami frowned, eyeing Yuri's wounds from head to toe. "…I almost dread to find out how bad it was in the past if you got off 'fairly lightly' this time," she said at last, drawing circles in the air.

"There's been quite a fuss in the clan last night." Shisui reported. "I heard that one of the Uchiha chuunins was arrested and brought to Hokage-sama yesterday. And Hokage-sama was _pissed,_ from what I heard. He refused to listen to Fugaku-sama's complaints, and immediately had that Uchiha thrown into the shinobi maximum prison. I also heard that the Uchiha was apparently missing two fingers." He gave Yuri a look.

Yuri raised both her hands. "It's not me," she said quickly. "That man is nearly three times my size and weight. Do you honestly think that I could cripple a man who had been a ninja even before I was born?"

Her friends stared at her for a very long time. "…I can believe it." Hana said at last. "My class has a free period the other day when your class had a weapons' sparring session with the other first year class. If Hisagi-sensei hadn't stepped in, your opponent would have lost his arm."

Ren, Hinami and Itachi exchanged amused looks. They still remembered that class. The 'opponent' that Yuri had been one of the Uchiha children from the next class. And like all Uchihas that doesn't go by the first names of Itachi or Shisui, he had it out for Yuri and went out for the kill. Unluckily for him, he didn't know that Yuri is one of the top students in their year level and nearly lost an arm if not for two things.

One being Hisagi-sensei who had kept a particularly sharp eye on that pair thanks to Kakashi specifically telling him at the beginning of the year that he doesn't want his sister anywhere near anyone with the last name of Uchiha. The second being the fact that the Academy weapons doesn't have any real blades.

"…Kakashi-san is coming back today, right?" Shisui expertly changed the subject, and he received a nod from Yuri for that. Behind him, in the corner, Shiba whined. He sighed. "What is he going to say about this?"

**XXXXXX**

Kakashi said quite a lot.

He was angry, furious, indignant, upset—and all in all, looks like an angry dragon breathing fire at everything. The fifteen-year-old jounin even scared Yamanaka Keiko—Inoichi's wife, by barging into the flower shop later that afternoon with a panicked and crazed look on his face. Inoichi was quick to lead Kakashi to Yuri's room where she was patting a miserable Shiba on the head—with said ninken currently half lying on her bed.

Kakashi had breathed a sigh of relief when he'd seen Yuri for himself, though he is far from pleased when he saw her injuries, and had a further detailed report on the child's injuries from Inoichi. Though his one-eyed gaze sharpened when his sole remaining eye landed on his guilty looking ninken who seemed to want to burrow deeper into Yuri's blankets.

"Nii-chan, it's not Shiba's fault." Yuri said immediately when she saw that angry look in her brother's eye, and knew that unless she say or do something to calm down the angry Copy Ninja, Shiba will likely be banned from being with her ever again. _"I_ told him to stay behind as I thought there wouldn't be any trouble, and I know that Shiba doesn't like it whenever Tenten-chan pulls his tail. Don't scold him." She patted Shiba on the head. "He's done his duty quite remarkably all these years."

Kakashi muttered something beneath his breath irritably, but nodded. He could never say no to Yuri whenever she looks at him like that. And he knew that none of his ninken is as vicious as Shiba when it comes to protecting Yuri. That Uchiha from a few years back who needed some extreme reconstructive surgery had actually mostly been Shiba's handiwork, though the rest of his ninken had some part to play in it as well.

"…Fine." Kakashi said reluctantly. "I won't do anything, I promise." Shiba looked at Kakashi with hopeful eyes. "But you promise me too that whenever I'm not around, Shiba goes with you wherever you go. _No_ compromises." Yuri nodded, patting a now much happier Shiba. "Even to the Academy." Kakashi added as an afterthought.

"…What?" Yuri stared at Kakashi as if he'd grown two new heads. "Are you crazy? Shiba's not _my_ contract summon, you know?"

"I don't really think he'll mind either way." Kakashi coughed, glancing at his now very happy ninken whose mood had taken a complete 180 change after knowing that he's not in any trouble. "And speaking of the Academy…" The teenager sat down by the edge of Yuri's bed. "I had a meeting with your homeroom teacher before I left for my mission a few days ago." Yuri stared at him, wide-eyed. It's not a complaint due to how many arguments that Ren, Hinami and Yuri had with the other two Uchiha children from the other class, right? "You're not in any trouble." Kakashi deadpanned, reading the look on Yuri's face. Honestly speaking, it's not _really_ her fault that she seems to attract trouble like a magnet. "It's just that Hisagi-sensei want to put you with the senior class—Shisui-kun and Hana-chan's class. He thinks that you're ready for the graduating exam this year."

Yuri stared at Kakashi, wide-eyed.

Sure, she had been reading ahead a lot, and Kakashi had been training her long before she had even attended the Academy thanks to her problems with the Uchiha clan, but surely she can't be _that_ ahead of her classmates, right?

"But… I'll be leaving behind Ren, Hinami and Itachi." Yuri muttered, not wanting to lose the first friends she had made, and joining a class with students much older than her. She already had some experience with others who were jealous due to how much ahead she is as compared to them. "I don't want that."

"They have the same offer too." Kakashi said immediately, knowing that Yuri is going to say that. "And if I know Itachi-kun's…clan, chances are that they would take it up even if he didn't want to." After knowing the Uchiha heir personally, Kakashi can't help but feel for the young boy—knowing that he had several issues with his 'family' from what he had seen from his observations and from what Shisui had mentioned from time to time. Seriously, in several ways, Yuri might have been better off than Itachi. "Ren and Hinami would likely take it up too."

Yuri smiled. "Then… I guess I'll take the offer too," she said excitedly now that she knew that she wouldn't be losing her best friends. She then winced as she pulled on her injuries.

"Are you all right?" Kakashi asked with concern. "Hayate and Genma told me what had happened. I'm sorry. I wasn't there for you."

Yuri shook her head slowly, trying not to aggravate her headache due to her concussion. "…It's not your fault," she said at last. She stared down at her bandaged hands. "…Nii-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"…Is it my fault?" Yuri asked, her voice shaking even as she stroke Shiba's thick fur. "Why did they hate me so much? To the point that they wanted me dead?"

Kakashi's heart almost broke upon hearing Yuri's broken voice. "Yuri." He murmured, scuttling close to his little sister, wrapping her in a hug like the way he always saw Obito do. "It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong." He reassured her, his sole visible eye flashing daggers the way they always do whenever he heard about Yuri's treatment at the hands of those people who are supposed to be her _family!_ "It's not you." By Yuri's side, Shiba whined, and licked Yuri's hand comfortingly. _Damn it, Obito. How did you ever handle this at the age of nine, knowing that one of Konoha's major clans wanted you and your sister dead? How did you ever manage?_

Not for the first time, Kakashi asked his best friend mentally the question that he had been asking since day one. And not for the first time, he didn't get an answer.

**XXXXXX**

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage stared at an upset Hatake Kakashi wearily. He knew that this is coming ever since Hayate had brought a bound and gagged Uchiha to his office over a week ago, telling him that the man had been trying to kill Yuri.

He, along with his advisors knew how thin-skinned that Hatake Kakashi is whenever someone seeks Yuri harm. The young man takes his promise to Obito seriously, as the deceased Uchiha had actually entrusted Kakashi with the guardianship of his precious sister. Sarutobi was actually there when Kakashi had swore in front of the memorial stone that he would care for Yuri and protect her like how Obito had always done.

"This is getting out of hand, Hokage-sama." Hatake Kakashi growled. "I just leave for two days, and I come back only to find out that _someone_ tried to lay their hands on my sister that had her restricted to bed rest for a week, along with a nice concussion and _three broken ribs!"_ He thundered. "If Hayate and Genma haven't arrived in time, I would be measuring Yuri for her burial shroud right now! I know that it is no secret that the Uchiha clan is never fond of Yuri, but they've never gone _this_ far before!"

"They are getting frustrated, Kakashi-kun." Sarutobi said with a sigh, filling his pipe with tobacco. "With their standing in the village, their treatment by their own villagers because of their…lack of action with the Kyuubi incident, and then the rumours that it is an Uchiha who had set the Kyuubi on Konoha. Itachi-kun's friendship with Yuri-chan isn't really helping either."

Hell, Uchiha Fugaku had gone as far as demanding for a court order to restrict the two children from seeing each other. Mitokado Homura who is mainly the one in charge of issues like this had dismissed Uchiha Fugaku's demands on the grounds of not having a good enough reason—as the fact that Uchiha Yuri is exiled from the Uchiha clan isn't a good enough reason to forbid the two children from being friends with each other.

Kakashi frowned. "I'm not going to tell Yuri to stop talking to Itachi," he said forcibly. "That friendship is good for the both of them. Even I can see that. Besides, do you think that _anyone_ can get Yuri to do _anything_ against her will?"

Yuri can be really stubborn after all, and had a tendency to dig her heels in over the silliest of things at times.

"I wasn't going to say that. And yes, you have a point there." Sarutobi almost sweat dropped. "It's just that the Uchiha clan is getting really frustrated. I've been trying to temper down their frustration, but I can only do so much. And their isolation from the rest of Konoha's clans is mainly due to their treatment of Yuri."

Kakashi frowned. "Hokage-sama, I'm not going to lie here. If they carry on with their abuse of a six-year-old child the way they did, civil war is just going to be the least of our concerns," he said forcibly. "I thought that we don't condone child abuse in this village. How much more evidence do you need before you can stop those damned Uchihas from tormenting my little sister?!"

Sarutobi groaned to himself. He's way too old to handle this! "It's not that simple, Kakashi-kun," he tried.

"What? Just because they're one of the major clans?" Kakashi demanded. He was then taken aback when Sarutobi placed up a hand to silence him.

"Time," said the Hokage solemnly. "I just ask you to give us some time. I'm the Hokage. I'm not blind to the faults of my village, and that the Uchiha clan had it out for that child for some reason. My advisors—Koharu, Homura and even Danzo knew about this too. But as this has political repercussions if not done properly, we have to tread carefully!"

Kakashi stared at the Hokage for a long time without saying anything. "…I kept asking myself, you know?" The teenager said at last. "If Obito made the right decision in entrusting his sister to me. I couldn't protect her from the Uchiha clan. And I even wondered… How did Obito even managed? There's only so much that Yuri can take. It's not her fault. I tried so much to make her understand. But she's still so little. She can barely comprehend just why the people who are supposed to be her family hates her so much and wants her dead." Kakashi glared outside the window. "Damn it, Obito… How did you ever managed?" He whispered.

The Hokage sighed, feeling sorry for the poor teenager. "…The Uchiha won't get away with their crimes, you can be assured of that," he said. "Just…give me some time. Danzo will need time to get proof as well. And there is no one better than him in sniffing out the skeletons in someone's closet."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi then spied a familiar white and black wagtail with red eyes perched on the windowsill outside the Hokage's office curiously. As Yuri is barely thinking straight with her concussion during the first few days, Hayate had taken it upon himself to inform Kakashi that it had been that curious wagtail and a young falcon that had gotten him and Genma to Yuri's location—otherwise, Yuri wouldn't be here today.

Kakashi had remembered that falcon when he had seen both feathered creatures perched on the windowsill outside Yuri's window when he had came to get her at the Yamanaka residence. The same falcon that he had seen when Yuri was learning how to control her spiritual ability from Yuki-san. Kakashi was surprised initially, but later assumed that Yuki-san must have left that young falcon behind for Yuri as a farewell present of sorts.

Inoichi-san had even muttered something about Yuri's 'animal whisperer' ability kicking in once more—the name that the Yamanaka head had given Yuri's ability to attract animals just by being near them. That is also the same reason why Yuri had been basically banned from going near the Bird Aviary, as animals seem to get excited whenever Yuri is near.

The wagtail chirruped at Kakashi before taking off once more, flying straight towards the small apartment that Hatake Kakashi lived in with his little sister in the shinobi residential district of Konoha. As one of Konoha's best jounins who took at least one or two S-ranks each month, Kakashi could easily afford one of the nicer looking apartments that had some serious security on the windows and doors.

The wagtail landed on the slightly ajar window of the room of his mistress, chirping at the dozing child who is sleeping once more due to her concussion. The young falcon meeped at the wagtail on her perch before putting her head beneath her wing and seemingly going to sleep.

The wagtail's eyes then glowed red before faint mist started to gather in the middle of the bedroom, and a semi-transparent figure wearing Konoha's jounin uniform and hitai-ate appeared. His features were vaguely similar to the mischievous Uchiha Shisui, and he had a look of the young pre-teen about him.

_I got a task for you._

Uchiha Kagami, father to Uchiha Shisui nodded as he faced the wagtail, seeing a faint figure of the true form of Death behind said wagtail.

"… _I understand."_


	6. Genin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri had finally become a genin, with Kakashi also giving her some of the mementos that Obito had left her.

_A Servant could never harm the Master  
_ _So in the end, what does it means to be Death's Master?_

**XXXXXX**

The elevation from the second year Academy class to the senior graduating class by the four children weren't really taken well by certain individuals.

Amongst them being a certain clan.

Shisui and Hana weren't told about the younger kids' elevation to the senior graduating class either until Totomi-sensei had introduced the four seven-year-olds to the flabbergasted senior class, with the teacher solemnly informing his class that they would also be sitting the graduating exam with them.

Shisui and Hana were beyond pleased that the four younger kids would be graduating together with them, and would also potentially be on a team with them. That had always been one point that the two older children were always concerned about—that they would be separated once they become genin as they are after all older.

Some of the older kids however didn't take it too well and had tried to intimidate them—particularly Hinami who is from a civilian family and didn't have any clan or powerful ninja backing her up like how Yuri, Itachi and Ren did.

Obviously, those older kids didn't know of Hinami's thin temper when it comes to slighting her for her civilian background by those noble snobs, and she is also a fledging medic and genjutsu specialist—as unlike Yuri and Hana, Hinami's chakra stores are only bordering on average, and thus, she had sought out a path that could make good use of her remarkable chakra control. The brunette had quickly sent those bullies to the Academy's infirmary with either severed tendons or genjutsu-induced hallucinations.

Totomi-sensei and Hisagi-sensei weren't sympathetic in the least when they got the entire story from both sides. In fact, Hisagi-sensei had actually told those bullies quite severely that he had actually expected better from seniors that are about to graduate and become genin—that it speaks a lot of their maturity and mind-set if they tried to belittle a younger girl who had been doing better than them in class just for her family background.

After all, they were being trained as ninjas—soldiers for war. It is expected of them to hit back when someone hits them after all—most of the time to the point of killing their opponent. Those bullies are just lucky that Hinami hadn't yet mastered the technique of severing the tendons in such a way that it leaks chakra out that will end up leading to death if left untreated, and that she is also still a little too short to sever the blood vessels at their neck that will lead to instant death.

Medic-nins might be there to save their asses during a battle or even during war—hence why there is a specialised class for any aspiring medics that was created during the Second Great Shinobi War by the Queen of Elixirs herself, Senju Tsunade. But in the end, medic-nins are also ninjas in the end. They are expected to kill as much as they are expected to save lives.

Senju Tsunade definitely didn't get her fearsome reputation by being soft or by being the greatest medic that had ever lived. Most might forget—but Tsunade didn't become a medic-nin until she was about seventeen or eighteen during the Second Great War. Before that, she had killed just like any other ninja.

Hence, a day before the senior graduating class was to sit their graduating exams to become genin, Totomi-sensei had brought the entire class out to the memorial stone in Konoha that is a familiar sight to all those that had a ninja background.

Itachi, Shisui, Yuri and Ren especially remembered standing here with their families when the Third Great Shinobi War had came to an end, and the Third Hokage had arranged for a war memorial for all their fallen before he had handed the Hokage mantle over to Namikaze Minato before retaking the hat back when the Kyuubi had attacked.

"This is the memorial stone of Konoha." Totomi-sensei told his class, waving a hand towards the dark blue-green memorial stone that towered over him that had already came into existence ever since the Shodaime's time.

It was said that it had actually been the Nidaime's idea to create a memorial stone in order to honour their fallen comrades, and not the Shodaime's idea as is commonly believed. Over the years, more and more names had been added, with said memorial stone being a favourite haunt of Kakashi's who had visited it at least an hour each day. Yuri normally visited it only three times a year, often with either Itachi or Ren and Hinami tagging along—once on her brother's death anniversary, a second on Obito's birthday and a third on the anniversary of the Kyuubi attack.

"Look at it and remember it well." Totomi-sensei said solemnly. "The names engraved here are the names of our village's heroes—the names of the brave men and women who have given their lives in service for our village. It is the duty of every ninja to do whatever they have to do in order to secure the safety and security of our village—no matter how dirty the job is. It wouldn't be the first time that a loyal ninja of Konoha has been known as a traitor in order to protect Konoha. This is what you will be signing up for once you become a genin and put on the hitai-ate that marks your allegiance and loyalty to the Leaf and the Land of Fire." Totomi-sensei pointed at his own hitai-ate as he spoke. "Because if the need ever arises, the Hokage will order you to kill, to deceive, to kidnap—and God forbid, and the day might also come when there is a need for you to give your life in order to protect your comrades and your village. This is what it means to be a ninja."

As several of their classmates were from civilian backgrounds, they didn't understand what Totomi-sensei had meant. But those from ninja backgrounds understood, as they were there when the Third Shinobi War had ended and had seen the horrors of that war when Konoha had brought their dead back.

They more than anyone else knew all about sacrifices.

All life must come to an end someday. With Life also comes Death.

Yuri said nothing as she spied the several transparent-like figures standing around the memorial stone, smiling sadly at the class of bright-eyed children that are also the future of the village. She swore that she had seen the spirit of Nohara Rin amongst them.

Yuri looked away quickly. And not for the first time, Uchiha Yuri wondered why she had never seen her brother's spirit before.

**XXXXXX**

"I think I got question thirteen wrong." Hinami mumbled, still with her nose stuck in a book as the group of them made their way back to their homes from the Academy. "What _is_ the name of the Nidaime Hokage's daughter, and who the hell did she marry?" She asked, scratching at the back of her head as she tried to remember. Unlike the other Hokages, Senju Tobirama was never as well known and famous as compared to them, and hence, information on his background and family life are always really difficult to remember.

"Senju Shizuka. And she married Namikaze Kazusa—the man who would later become the father of our own Yondaime Hokage." Yuri supplied helpfully, with Shiba walking at her heels as usual, the playful ninken giving out sounds that sounded as if he's dying of laughter. Itachi was walking by her side as usual—the Uchiha heir no longer cares if his clan catches wind that he's friendly with the 'Uchiha outcast'. Hell, he had stopped caring by the time he was moved onto the graduating class.

Ren rolled his eyes in annoyance, exchanging looks with Shisui who only shrugged. "Hinami, relax, will you? If anything, you will probably score top in theory," he said. It is no secret that Hinami is the best at the bookwork and theory amongst them. The brunette had an excellent memory and is good at doing research. Chances are that the Cipher Division will likely snatch Hinami up once she had made chuunin if they didn't already have their eye on her.

"Besides, all of us passed, didn't we?" Shisui grinned, pointing at his brand new hitai-ate tied around his forehead. "What are you so worried about anyway?"

Hinami bristled. "Because I actually _want_ to remember the stuff that I've studied, Shisui!" she snapped, smacking Shisui in the arm with the book that she is reading.

"Ow!"

On Yuri's other side, Hana snorted whilst the Haimaru Triplets—Hana's ninken all had a doggy sweatdrop at the back of their heads.

Itachi and Yuri exchanged amused looks with each other. For once, it isn't Ren that is putting his foot in his mouth when it comes to Hinami. For while Ren isn't as lazy as that of his clan members, especially his uncle and adoptive father, he _is_ still a Nara, and had their lazy traits even though he had quite the strategic mind. His lazy traits being the reason why Hinami is always nagging at him.

Yuri then frowned as she raised her eyes skywards only to see a familiar flash of white and black soaring about in the sky above her, with notes of a cry falling from its throat.

"…Hedwig?"

* * *

A slender hand caught the kunai by the blade, thus causing deep cuts to appear in the flesh of the hand whilst three Inuzuka ninken had their teeth sunk into the pants of the man. A ninken with light grey fur stood in between the man and a barely four-year-old obviously Hyuuga child, growling ferociously.

"Stop right there, mister." Nara Ren ordered, his hands currently locked in the familiar seal for the Nara clan's famous Shadow Imitation technique. "I don't know what's going on, but we can't let you harm a child." His eyes flickered towards the bandages bound around said Hyuuga child's forehead.

The man growled, his eyes turning into the red of the Sharingan as he glared down at Uchiha Yuri who had intercepted his kunai, standing in between the man and the Hyuuga child. "I should have known that it's _you_ who will interfere, wretch!" he hissed.

Yuri frowned, but years of hearing and having abuse heaped on her from the people supposed to be her family had all but gotten her used to it by now. Thus, any insults done to her now do nothing but just roll off her back like water from a duck's feathers.

"Is he all right?" Hana asked, one hand gripped tightly on the man's free arm, turning towards Itachi and Shisui who were both checking on the state of the frightened Hyuuga child.

"Yes."

"So you stooped to hurting children who couldn't hit back now?" Itachi hissed, and in the face of their clan heir's fury, the man hesitated. "And here I thought you could sink no lower."

"I-Itachi-sama… Shisui-kun…"

"You know, I've thought about this before when you assholes kept setting on Yuri the way you did! But now you tried to hurt a little boy who probably isn't even old enough to learn how to read yet!" Shisui snapped, wrapping the frightened Hyuuga child into his arms. Said child immediately clung onto Shisui, burying his face into Shisui's jacket.

"He's just some bastard Hyuuga!"

Itachi's eye twitched. "And that matters how?" he asked, his voice remarkably calm and composed—but all his friends knew him well enough by now to know that that is one of the first signs of Itachi becoming pissed.

"He's from the Hyuuga clan! They're our enemies!"

Hinami's eye twitched. What is with all this…useless clan pride? She really feels for Yuri, Itachi and Shisui. She really does. Ren and Hana were both just lucky that they were born in clans that didn't really care for clan hierarchy and all that.

Yuri's green eyes are like pieces of cold green ice as she glared at the man. Say what you will about Hatake Kakashi. But Yuri just has this way of looking at someone, and making them feel as if they're getting X-rayed.

"First of all, idiot, we're from the same village." Yuri said frostily. "Secondly, what does this say about _you_ trying to hurt a child the same way you did to me even before I was old enough to remember? I thank my deceased brother for everything that he did as he'd likely saved me from becoming an asshole like you lot!"

An ANBU with purple hair showed up just then with her squad. "Is there trouble?" she questioned, her voice muffled behind her cat mask, as she took in the current situation—from the Uchiha with the kunai who is currently getting restrained by the Nara kid's jutsu and the Inuzuka heiress' ninken to Kakashi-sempai's baby sister who is restraining the Uchiha and to the Uchiha heir and his cousin who were trying to calm down the terrified Hyuuga child.

"Yes. If you could take this man to Hokage-sama, that'll be very much appreciated." Inuzuka Hana spoke up first, even as Ren dropped his jutsu and dropped back on his bottom with a relieved sigh—keeping that technique up this long really takes a severe drain on his chakra stores that isn't that high to begin with. "He tried to attack that child."

"I'll do it," said one of the ANBU members. "You kids should get back home too. It's getting late."

"Someone should take him home." Shisui said, getting to his feet and letting the Hyuuga child down to the ground. "But the Hyuuga clan will likely throw a fit if either I or Itachi shows up there." He grimaced. Hyuuga and Uchiha have never really gotten along after all. Their non-existent relationship had been there for as long as the famed Uchiha versus Senju rivalry.

The rest of their friends exchanged glances with each other. An almost awkward silence hung in the air. Itachi and Shisui are out of the question as it's true that the Hyuuga clan will likely throw a fit if they showed up on the doorstep with a battered and traumatised Hyuuga child. Hinami couldn't either as she's from a civilian family, and the Hyuuga are worse than the Uchiha when it comes to civilians. Same goes for Hana as the Hyuuga sees the Inuzuka clan as a pack of barbarians. As for Ren… Don't even ask.

Before the female ANBU captain could open her mouth to volunteer one of her squad members, Uchiha Yuri spoke up. "I'll do it," she said, kneeling down to the Hyuuga child's eye level and patting him on the hand gently and speaking to him in low tones. "They probably won't mind if I go. Besides, I got Shiba with me, so I'll be fine." She added to soothe her friends' worries.

**XXXXXX**

"Can we help you…" The Hyuuga guard at the entrance of the Hyuuga mansion paused as he wondered how to address her, "uh… Uchiha-san?"

"I've come to return one of yours." Yuri said before tugging on the hand of the little boy hiding behind her who peeked out shyly. Shiba sat on his haunches next to her, scratching at his back.

The Hyuuga guard's eyes widened. "Please wait a moment." He disappeared into the grounds of the Hyuuga compound before coming back again with a tall and regal looking Hyuuga who looks a lot like the boy that Yuri had with her. He also had a kind expression on his face, and he had his forehead protector around his forehead.

"Neji!" The man whom Yuri assumed to be the child's father stretched out his arms as he knelt down even as the child ran into his father's arms. "Thank you so much." The Hyuuga bowed to Yuri in gratitude. "I'm Hyuuga Hizashi. You're…Uchiha Yuri, right?"

"Well… I guess I'm kind of…known around the village." Yuri muttered. She knew the exact reason _why_ she had a bit of a reputation around Konoha. "I found him getting attacked by a ninja from the Uchiha clan," she explained, and the Hyuuga father tightened his arms around his son. That expression on his face mirrored that of Kakashi's every single time he heard about some incident involving Yuri and an Uchiha. "You might want to be careful."

"I will. Thank you for your help."

Yuri bowed to the father and son pair even as she turned to make for home. Before she could go out of earshot however, a childish voice reached her ears, "Thank you, Yuri-nee-san!"

Four-year-old Hyuuga Neji beamed at his saviour even as he waved to her shyly from his father's arms.

**XXXXXX**

Kakashi groaned as he listened to what Yuri has to tell him about why she is late in getting home from the Academy after having sat for the graduating exams that day.

"I'm starting to think that _not_ thinking and having no brains is an Uchiha trait or something! That or being bastards is in their blood. I could easily count on one hand the number of decent Uchihas I knew." Kakashi raged even as Yuri patted a dozing Shiba on the head—with said ninken currently snoozing on his favourite pillow.

"Will Itachi and Shisui be all right?" Yuri asked at last, looking up at Kakashi. "Itachi's the clan heir after all. If they heard that he's involved in this…"

Kakashi frowned. He's a little concerned too. Maybe it's about time he suggested to the Hokage to take a closer look at the inner workings of that clan. "He'll probably be fine," he said at last. "If anything, Itachi isn't exactly helpless. It wouldn't be the first time he had gone to either you or Shisui for shelter whenever he can't go home."

Yuri's face fell. That…is true.

It had happened a few times ever since Yuri had befriended Itachi. And considering that they've only been friends for about a year, that is pretty sad. She honestly doesn't want the same fate that had befallen her to fall onto Itachi's shoulders too.

In Yuri's case however, she never had a choice in how the clan views her, and they've been abusing her long before she had even learned how to walk until Obito had enough and had walked out of the clan with her. But Itachi has no defense like that unless Shisui gets really pissed.

"But enough about that." Kakashi said, giving Yuri what she had now identified as his 'eye-smile' as he looked at the brand new hitai-ate on her forehead. "So you're a genin now, huh?" Privately, he knew that whoever is going to end up as Yuri's jounin instructor will give them the final test, but he kept that part quiet as is traditional. "So I guess it's time that I gave you a few things that your brother left for you."

Yuri's eyes widened. "Obito did?"

"Yeah. Wait here." Kakashi disappeared into his room for several moments before emerging again with a box in his hands. He placed it down in front of him and removed the lid. There is just a sword in the box along with a dark green scroll and a small black box. Kakashi lifted the sword almost gently, handing it to Yuri who took it with shaking hands. The sword is beautiful—with a black scabbard with golden engravings on it and a silver hilt.

"I always did wonder why Obito always carried a sword with him, and yet, he'd never used it." Kakashi smiled sadly, remembering the sword that the loud and cheerful Uchiha had always strapped on his back.

Kushina-nee-san had taught Team Minato kenjutsu and the basics of fuuinjutsu after all—being an Uzumaki and all, but Obito had always preferred using that regular ninjato that he had bought from the weapons' store. That fateful mission on that day so long ago was the first time that Obito didn't have his sword with him, having taken it to the blacksmith for maintenance. There are times when Kakashi had wondered if Obito would have survived if he had his sword with him.

"And then again, I did always carry my father's White Fang with me for memory's sake." Kakashi gave a sad smile at the thought of the last memento that he had of his late father before he broke it during that mission that had taken Obito's life. He never actually got it repaired either—leaving the White Fang as it is to remind him of his mistakes and his failures when he was an ignorant child, and not to repeat them with Yuri and his comrades now that he's older and wiser. "This sword…" Kakashi stroke the beautiful sword that is about the length of a regular ninjato—the perfect length for Yuri who would no doubt specialise more in speed much like Obito. "Obito once told me that it is known as _Muramasa._ It has its name from its creator. The famous sword smith Muramasa Senji forged this—it's his _best_ and also his last work. This sword has been in your family for generations. I think the story goes that Muramasa Senji made this sword as a gift for his best friend—to an Uchiha ancestor of yours before that clan had gone off the deep end the way they did." Kakashi scowled. "Your grandfather left this to your brother when he became a genin before he'd passed away instead of passing it down to his son—your father. I think that might have been part of the reason why your parents resented Obito so much too. In fact, Obito once told me and Rin that Muramasa is sentient. It is similar to the swords of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist in that way as it supports and assists the wielder. But only if the sword accepts them."

"Muramasa…" Yuri murmured, closing her fingers over the scabbard of the sword, and to her astonishment, she felt a warm pulse of chakra beneath her fingertips. She felt almost _protected._ Yuri then almost jumped as she felt a weight on her shoulder, turning only to see the black and white wagtail chirping at the sword. "Sekki!"

Yuri had never forgotten about the two feathered creatures that have saved her from the Uchiha attack months ago, and as they've all but camped in her room, Kakashi had finally given in, and had made bird perches as well as bird bowls for those two. They are after all birds of the wild, not domesticated creatures.

"Obito had this made for you with his first paycheck when he became a genin." Kakashi held out the black velvet box, lifting the lid only to reveal a silver chain with the pendant of a silver star hanging from it. "I don't know for what reason, but he requested in his will that I give this to you when you become a genin. And… I think it's time I gave this to you." Kakashi handed the dark green scroll over to Yuri this time.

"Is this…a summon contract?" Yuri asked, interested.

"That's right." Kakashi nodded. "I originally wanted you to sign my dog contract, but I don't think you'll want to share with me all the time. Besides, I got a feeling that you're more suited to this." Kakashi had a sad look on his face. "This contract used to belong to my father. It's the contract to the wolf summons. I think it's time it gets used again. But… I don't want you summoning until you're twelve at least. The chakra needed for a summon—even that of a minor summon is enough to kill you right now." Kakashi's eyes told Yuri how strict that he is with this.

Yuri smiled and nodded. "Sure!" she said, looking down at the sword and summon contract in her hands. Her brother left that sword to her. It's not like Yuri had ever doubted Obito's love and concern for her. But this just confirms it all the more—along with that necklace that he had commissioned for her with his first paycheck.

"Well now…" Kakashi groaned as he got to his feet, working out the kinks in his body from sitting in one position for too long. "How about if we eat out tonight to celebrate your graduation?"

Yuri's eyes brightened and she nodded. "I want sushi!" she proclaimed.

Kakashi laughed.

**XXXXXX**

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the group of jounins in front of him that he'd called for a meeting, as they are the jounins that had expressed wishes to take charge of a genin team that year. Also sitting in with him in this meeting is Mitokado Homura.

"Once again, it has come the time for the new genin teams to be assigned a jounin instructor." Sarutobi spoke. "Before we begin the team assignment, is there anything that you feel could be changed or amended according to the current genin team assignments in the folders you each had?"

He received shakes of the head from his jounins, but Homura frowned, surveying the files. The elder finally looked up. "Actually, I do have one, Hiruzen," he spoke, and Sarutobi frowned. "According to this, you've placed Uchiha Itachi with Sasaki Nozomi and Aido Kesaki."

"Yes? Is there a problem with this?" Sarutobi enquired.

"According to their Academy teacher's reports, while Sasaki Nozomi is neutral with Uchiha Itachi and had always treated him like she would any other student, Aido Kesaki had been noted to be a known bully—having been jealous of Itachi-kun and the other three ever since they were elevated into the graduating class last semester." Homura noted, tapping the page that he is on. There is a sound of flipping pages as the jounins in the room immediately searched for the said team's profile. "If we place those three on a team together, there is a disaster waiting to happen, Hiruzen, and you know it. The same thing happened to the last genius who'd graduated early, and you know what happened to his first team."

Sarutobi Hiruzen winced, not wanting to recall the fate of Kakashi's first team before he was assigned to Minato's tutelage and had gained Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin as teammates. "What do you suggest then?" he asked at last.

"Change the teams up, Hokage-sama." One of the jounins said seriously, looking up from the folder. "Homura-sama is right. There is a KIA waiting to happen if we let that team go ahead."

Homura looked at his old teammate in the eye. "Either we make the first four man genin cell in Konoha's history, or you place Itachi-kun with Uchiha Shisui and Inuzuka Hana as his teammates. It is unbalanced, I know, as the Uchiha cousins are both ninjutsu specialists, with Inuzuka Hana leaning towards taijutsu. But exceptions have to be made sometimes, and this is one of them."

Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced at his jounins to gauge their reactions only to see them nodding to Homura's suggestion. "Very well," he said, making some notes onto the paper in front of him, changing up the team placements slightly. He then looked at his jounins. "As for the other teams, are there any takers?"

"Yes," said a baritone voice, even as every head in the room turned towards the mentioned jounin who had a solemn look on his face as he studied the folder in his hand with interest. Sarutobi knew this man to be one of his best jounins, even with his _handicap._ "I want Team Five, Hokage-sama."

There were a chorus of groans from some of the jounins who had their eye on the said team as well, causing a grin from the jounin who was quick enough to ask for his dream team. Sarutobi chuckled as well before studying the team listings only to quickly find out just _who_ is on Team Five. "The team comprising of Uchiha Yuri, Saito Hinami and Nara Ren?" he enquired, and the jounin nodded firmly.

"Yes. All three are talented. I want them." He said firmly with a tone that states that he will not give way on that matter. "And I know for one that Uchiha Yuri has a lot of trust issues outside of her closest friends and family. We all know why." The jounins in the room flinched. Yes, the _entire village_ knew. "I believe I can help her with that. I can also help the Nara with his chakra control and to learn more jutsus. And as it says here that Saito Hinami is a fledging medic-nin, I can teach her the fighting style of a medic-nin, as Tsunade-sama had been my jounin instructor once upon a time before she had left the village. I truly believe that I can help all three of the genins to expand on their potential, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi nodded slowly before glancing at Homura only to see him frowning. But the straight laced elder slowly nodded—evidently giving his consent to have this jounin be the instructor for Team Five.

"Very well," said Sarutobi, stamping his stamp across the page of the team, and also filling in the name of the jounin instructor before signing it off. "Then I will leave them in your capable hands, Hizashi."

Hyuuga Hizashi grinned and nodded. "Please leave them to me."


	7. Test of Will

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final genin examination has begun! What will happen to Team 5, and will they pass?

" _I'm done following orders. I'm done playing the hero." - Hilda Potter (Uchiha Yuri)_

**XXXXXX**

It had taken Hyuuga Hizashi the better part of three hours just looking through the records of his hopefully future students, and by the end of it, he really wanted to weep by the time that he'd finished reading the evaluation reports of Uchiha Yuri, Saito Hinami and Nara Ren.

Those three, much like most of their age group, have seen the aftermath of the Third Great Shinobi War, and thus, knew the horrors of war. It changed them all as a result.

Uchiha Yuri's file however is thicker than any that he'd seen, especially for an Academy graduate. And even as he took the route that will take him to the eatery where Hatake Kakashi had arranged for a meeting, Hyuuga Hizashi is honestly wondering if the Uchiha clan had any decency _at all._ For all their _barbaric_ methods, even the Hyuuga clan wouldn't stoop as low as to abuse their children.

Harsh training _maybe._ The Hyuuga clan had their own pride, and they have harsh training methods for their children, especially as their Jyuuken requires extreme chakra precision and extremely good chakra control—with the training starting from as early as when a child starts to walk. But there is a level that they wouldn't stoop—as it is that fine line that separates harsh training from child abuse.

Hizashi knew for one that his twin brother had been working his fingers to the bone ever since he'd ascended as clan head, trying to abolish the barbaric system in the Hyuuga clan of the two branches. And Hizashi himself had been working on behalf of his brother to gather allies that would help them to do just that, as too much attention will be paid to Hiashi if he does that himself.

It is late afternoon, with dusk soon to set in just a few hours. And thus, the commercial district of Konoha is already starting to get busy, with several civilians all rushing home to prepare dinner for their families. Hizashi then brightened up as the first sights of the Chameleon Moon eatery came into sight.

It was the first eatery of its kind to be set up in Konoha—as it not only functions as an eatery, but also as an apothecary of sorts. The owner of the eatery had came to Konoha with her two nephews and her grandson about two to three years ago, and had requested for an audience with the Hokage to apply for a business permit in the Leaf Village.

The newcomers were actually foreigners of some sort, as even their names were unusual. In the beginning, several of the Leaf's inhabitants who had visited to bring gifts to welcome the newcomers, as is the Leaf way, had found it difficult to pronounce their names. They have ended up shortening the obviously foreign names so that it wouldn't tangle their tongues.

The owner is a beautiful woman maybe in her forties or fifties, though she sure doesn't look her age, as she still looks young and beautiful, much to the envy of several of the women. Her two nephews are actually a pair of redheaded twin boys—maybe around the age of ten or so—mischievous twins who have dreamt of opening a joke shop someday, assisting with the eatery for pocket money in the hopes of making that dream come true once they're old enough to apply for a business permit in Konoha—with the minimum age being eighteen.

When Chameleon Moon had first opened for business, people have flocked to it on opening day, as they are no doubt curious about the new eatery.

Surprisingly, the food is to die for, though half of the menu items aren't something that the locals are familiar with, being foreign delicacies of some sort. There is also a section of the eatery sealed off to work as the apothecary—selling health potions and healing remedies and such. And apparently, those 'miracle potions' as what the ninjas were naming it as it truly works wonders—are 'household remedies' that are created by the owner's family.

It tastes awful, and the ninjas honestly have no wish to know what goes in there, but as long as it works and all, they don't really care. One of the most popular 'remedies' has to be the instant cold treatment and even the one that actually allows a ninja to _regrow_ a missing limb.

Needless to say, the ninjas of the village have found themselves flocking to Chameleon Moon every other day due to their line of work. The apothecary business had gotten so good that the owner had to create a kind of mail order service in order to even get the orders completed—something that is apparently suggested by the mischievous twins who have started operating the apothecary side full-time despite their tender ages. It came to such a point that Homura and the Hokage have started a sort of agreement with the owner and her nephews to have the owner supply the remedies to go into the standard ninja pack, and also for the hospital.

Hizashi recognised the eatery easily even as he approached the establishment.

It also helps that Chameleon Moon is _very_ distinctive and easily recognisable—the locals often used the eatery as a kind of landmark when guiding tourists and visitors for directions. Hizashi had a feeling that the owner had a large hand in deciding the décor of the eatery—both inside and outside.

The outside of the eatery is painted a warm light brown, with rectangular flower pots seated at the glass windows. There is even a Victorian-style door for the entrance, with a black signboard with the eatery's name hanging above the door, with a 3D image of a neon- _pink_ chameleon hugging a moon on the sign itself. The second storey of the eatery is actually the apartment for the owner and her family.

A bell jangled somewhere inside the eatery as Hizashi entered, and he took a look around.

For some strange reason, the inside seems to be _larger_ than he'd expected just by looking from the outside. Most of the cubicles were already occupied by people laughing and talking despite it not being dinnertime yet. The owner was visible behind the counter where she's currently ringing up a couple their bill, with a few of the waiters and waitresses serving the customers. In a corner where the apothecary counter is, there is a 'Closed' sign with a pair of chibi figures of the redheaded twins drawn on it giving the peace signs, much to Hizashi's amusement, and he could only assume that the twins must be concocting the remedies for the next day. Also, in the center of the eatery is a raised dais with a black grand piano sitting on it.

No one is playing it now, and Hizashi wondered for a moment just how much that piano must cost, let alone the delivery cost for it to be sent to Konoha.

Finally, Hizashi looked around and saw Hatake Kakashi waving to him from a corner where he had occupied a corner cubicle seat for them both—much to Hizashi's relief.

"I've ordered tea for you, as I'm sure that you're heading home for dinner with your son and brother," was the first thing out of Kakashi's mouth the moment that Hizashi sat down across the younger man.

"So what is with the sudden meeting?" Hizashi questioned, picking up the cup of tea that Kakashi had ordered, unsure whether to feel disturbed or not when he'd realised that Kakashi had ordered his favourite blend of tea. "Is it something to do with your sister's team placement?" He asked, wondering if Kakashi isn't happy with it or something.

"Something to do with that." Kakashi responded. The young jounin sighed, rubbing at his Sharingan eye beneath the hitai-ate. "I'll make things straight—you know of Yuri's problems with a certain clan, right?" Hizashi nodded—the _entire village_ knew, and hence, that is why the Uchiha clan's reputation is continually slipping with each passing year. "But I asked to meet with you not because of that. It's regarding something else."

Hizashi frowned as he took a quick glance around to make sure that there are no eavesdroppers around before he lowered his voice. "If this is regarding a certain 'ability' of hers, I know about it." Kakashi looked startled. "Hokage-sama thought that I should know if I'm going to take her on as a student."

"That's one of the things I'm going to talk to you about, but it isn't the reason why I've called you here." Kakashi sighed, though knowing that the Hokage had spoken to Hizashi about a certain ability of Yuri's did make things easier for him. A long silence fell between them as Kakashi stirred his black coffee, undoubtedly making it even bitterer. "…I've given Yuri her brother's sword—the one that their grandfather had passed down to Obito when he'd died." He caught Hizashi's eyes with his one eye. "…The Demon Sword, Muramasa."

Hizashi narrowed his eyes. Even civilians would have heard of that famed sword—that is how infamous it is, having gained a reputation like that of the swords belonging to the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

"The sword that—"

Kakashi nodded, not really that surprised that Hizashi would have known about that sword. It's just that not many people actually knew what the sword looks like except for perhaps the Mist's swordsmen, and that the sword is currently in Yuri's possession. If the Uchiha clan had known that Obito's grandfather had left it to him in his will upon his death, they probably wouldn't be as quick to throw both siblings out.

"The sword that had tasted so much blood and violence over the _centuries_ since its creation that it is almost sentient—having a mind and will of its own. There is a reason why it's named the _Demon_ Sword. There are rumours that state that there is a spirit of a guardian beast trapped within Muramasa—that's why it's known to be Muramasa Senji's _best_ work." Kakashi recited the general knowledge that everyone knew. "The sword protects its master. But at the same time, due to the bloodlust, if the wielder's will isn't strong enough, they get devoured by it." Hizashi paled. "Obito left behind a letter stating all that he knew about the sword. Even when he was still alive, Obito never had the guts to unlock Muramasa's power." Kakashi admitted, wondering if Obito had doubted that he is strong enough to withstand the lure of power.

"Muramasa has a special way to unleash its power. It now lies dormant—sleeping, as it had been for over two hundred years. To awaken its sentient and true power, the wielder has to feed the sword their _own blood."_ Kakashi said slowly, making sure that Hizashi understood the true implications behind his words. Even for their 'ninja tricks', those that require the sacrifice of blood are often powerful techniques—like summoning seals for instance. If Muramasa requires the need to feed on their wielder's blood—their life force, then just how powerful is that weapon? "Obito has never awakened Muramasa from what I know. Neither has his grandfather—the previous master. From my knowledge, at some point in history even before the era of the clan wars, Muramasa had landed in the hands of Obito's side of the family, and they've never unleashed that power once. There were ancient records of Muramasa having devoured their own master because their will isn't strong enough for the sword's liking. That's why…" Kakashi curled his fingers before his masked lips, looking at Hizashi with a serious expression visible in his one eye. "No matter what, don't let Yuri use it."

"Why did you give her the sword if it's that dangerous?" Hizashi questioned. If it is his son, that sword would probably never see the light of day again, family heirloom or not.

"…Obito asked me to." Kakashi answered. "That's all that I have to say. I'll pay for the drinks. Just… Please take care of her."

Hizashi nodded, seeing the genuine concern in Kakashi's sole visible eye. "I will," he promised before he then left the table and the restaurant.

Kakashi then got to his feet and walked towards the counter where the owner is brewing a batch of coffee. "Andy, bill please," he said almost tiredly. "Also, can I have some takeaways of sushi?"

Andromeda Tonks smiled and handed over a white plastic bag actually holding two trays of takeaway sushi, much to Kakashi's amusement and surprise. "I thought that you might order this when you've came here, so I already had it ready," she commented, amused, even as Kakashi took the order sheepishly. "580 ryo in order, Kakashi-kun."

"Here you go." Kakashi handed over the exact amount before bowing to the woman politely—something about Andromeda Tonks, or Tonks Andromeda as she is known as always made him feel as if he should treat her like how one would a noble lady serving in the daimyo's court.

"Bring Yuri with you someday." Andy called out to Kakashi even as he left, with the young jounin giving a backhanded wave to show that he'd heard her.

Faint sounds of a young child hiccupping reaches Andy's ears just then, and she turned only to see a redheaded boy walking down the stairs in a corner that leads to the rooms upstairs, carrying a three or four-year-old toddler in his arms, hiccupping with fat tears streaking down his cheeks.

"Andy, Teddy says that his stomach is hurting again." Fred Weasley said tiredly even as Andy took her upset grandson from the redhead. "And was that…Kakashi?"

"Yes." Andy nodded even as she busied herself with giving her grandson a mild pain reliever solution mixed with his milk. "He came to buy dinner for himself and…Yuri."

Even after three years since Death had deemed it fit to drop her, Teddy and Fred and George in an entirely different world, Andy still can't wrap her head around the fact that the teenaged traumatised girl that is almost like a second daughter to her is now a small child of about seven, ready to become a soldier for the village that she's born in.

_This is the prize that the wizarding world must pay for having gone down the path of no return the way they did. But the four of you are the only ones whose hearts are still untainted, and you alone wholly supported and believed in my Master with no ulterior motive. This is the only way I can work around sparing you with my Master's wishes without breaking any rules._

That was what Death had told them on that day when he'd dropped them in the middle of nowhere. And much to Fred and George's surprise, they found themselves kids again.

Death had guided them on their journey to Konoha after that when they've realised that they might find Hilda, or Yuri as she is known as now in the Leaf Village. And much to the three former magicals' relief, they found themselves still able to use magic, though they've passed it off as a strange _kekkai genkai_ to the Hokage when questioned about it, declining the Hokage's offer to establish their own clan in the village, much preferring to remain as civilians. Though whether Teddy would decide to join the ninja Academy when he's old enough or not still remains to be seen.

It had been Andy's idea to start a business of some sort in Konoha if they're electing to remain as civilians, as it would create less attention. And Andy, being a former Black, is extremely skilled with potions and cooking, and hence, had opted to open her own eatery that also has a side line as an apothecary.

Fred and George have both missed operating their own joke shop as they truly loved it back in Magical Britain, but due to their age, they couldn't operate one just yet in Konoha. Hence, Andy had cut them a deal—they help her with her business, and she'll pay them like how she would the waiters and waitresses that she hired, and they can then save up to open their own business.

The name of the eatery was chosen by Andy to honour her daughter and son-in-law—with the word _Chameleon_ being picked to reflect Tonks's Metamorphmagus abilities and with the word _Moon_ being picked to reflect Remus's status as a werewolf.

In fact, it wasn't until a year ago when one of Konoha's youngest and also most well-known jounins had entered Chameleon Moon with his kid sister in tow—a sister that had almost caused all three former magicals to drop whatever that they're holding at that time. Teddy clearly still remembered his godmother as he had clapped his hands and squealed, "'ilda!" repeatedly. Thankfully, no one had managed to figure out what the toddler had said, and Andy had tried to explain to her grandson later that night that 'Aunt Hilda isn't quite herself anymore' and she doesn't remember them.

For every single one of them had recognised 'Uchiha Yuri' the moment that she'd walked into Chameleon Moon. Her face might look different now, and she had lost much of that haunted expression that she had when she was seventeen and fighting in that damn war. Her bone structure is also a little different, and the shade of her hair is so dark that it is almost midnight black instead of the almost darkish-brown shade of James Potter's birdnest hair. But there is no mistaking that pair of familiar green eyes.

_I'm done following orders. I'm done playing the hero._

That was what Hilda had told Andy and the Weasley twins straight after the war after she'd helped to bury her best friends, and then Rita Skeeter had picked up her poison pen once more. Andy wasn't really that surprised when Hilda had disappeared after that, though she was worried about the child's mental state.

Honestly, Dumbledore really _fucked up_ when it comes to Hilda's childhood. It had taken Andy _months_ before she could persuade Hilda to tell her everything about her childhood, and to say that the former Black is _peeved_ is an understatement. If Dumbledore isn't already dead, she would likely rip him limb from limb.

Andy, Fred and George have then tried their utmost to reconnect with the reincarnated Hilda, now named as Yuri. And as she and her adoptive brother are regulars to their place, it wasn't really that difficult. Yuri had sometimes earned a bit of pocket money when babysitting Teddy. Teddy had adored her, and had soon addressed her as 'Auntie Riri', much to the trio's amusement. It didn't take that long before Andy had 'made' Yuri Teddy's godmother, with the woman explaining to the very amused Kakashi and surprised Yuri that Teddy needs a godparent.

(Andy ignored the fact that Yuri _is_ already Teddy's godmother—just when she was known by another name).

Thus, imagine their surprise six months later when Yuri had stepped into the eatery, dragging a certain brunette and a certain redhead with her.

Fred and George have almost dropped the potion vials that they are packaging for Shiranui Genma at that time. There's no way that they wouldn't recognise their baby brother after all—the brother that had died along with his fiancée before they could even attend his wedding—giving him the advice that all the Weasley brothers have given Bill during _his_ wedding.

Britain had always claimed 'Death' as a bad omen of sorts. Their crazy Divination professor at Hogwarts definitely always claimed that. But in the twins' opinion, Death is a hundred times better to Hilda than the place that they've once called home.

What does it speak about Magical Britain and humanity as a whole if a supposed 'God of Death' is kinder and more protective over an abused teenaged girl as compared to an entire population who would willingly throw the entire burden of ending a war on the shoulders of a teenager?

**XXXXXX**

Hyuuga Hizashi was amongst the first of the selected jounin instructors that year to collect his hopefully potential students. A room full of bright and eager eyes have greeted him the moment that he'd slid the door opened. Hizashi had spotted his new team almost immediately, as there are only four seven-year-olds in an entire class of twelve-year-olds.

His new team, along with whom Hizashi had quickly identified as the new Team 6 that consists of Uchiha Shisui, Inuzuka Hana and Uchiha Itachi were playing Go Fish at the back of the classroom. That already earned his new team a few brownie points in Hizashi's book—that they were already trying to get to know each other as teammates.

Hizashi cleared his throat. "I'm here for Team 5," he announced, and the mentioned Team 5 looked up immediately with interest. Uchiha Yuri was quick to retrieve the cards that they were playing with and sealed them into a storage scroll that she had with her, and Hizashi raised an eyebrow at that with interest. She already knew sealing at this age? "Uchiha Yuri. Saito Hinami. And Nara Ren. Meet me on the rooftop in ten minutes."

**XXXXXX**

Hyuuga Hizashi was mentally cataloguing the profiles of his new students up on the rooftop as he leaned against the side. He'd also read Yamanaka Inoichi's psych evaluations on all three of his new students, and had even visited the young Yamanaka clan head to get a personal opinion.

Surprisingly, despite the hell that is her life since before she is old enough to remember, Uchiha Yuri had the least problems with emotional control and outbursts. Of his three students however, she is also the one with the _most_ mental problems. And knowing her history, Hizashi is not surprised.

Saito Hinami's parents were both civilians—being the owners of a highly successful delivery and courier service in Konoha that is quickly expanding to the other elemental nations. Hence, Hinami is the first in her family to become a ninja.

And from what Hizashi had understood, her parents were less than thrilled about their daughter's decision to join the ninja Academy when they'd wanted her to inherit their business. They'd relented in the end however, assuming that Hinami would drop out on her own or the Academy will kick her out when they realised that she had no real talent. They were eating their words a year later when Hinami was accelerated into the fast track program and is now a ninja graduate.

Like several civilians, Hinami's parents have seen ninjas as bloodthirsty monsters—killers and assassins who will do anything just for a bit of ryo. It didn't really help that their hometown was one of those wiped out during the Konoha versus Iwa war, hence cementing their beliefs in ninjas being bloodthirsty killers. The only reason why they'd even settled in Konoha is because they wanted a home that will be _safe_ from ninja attacks, and the major ninja villages are rarely targeted and attacked.

As far as Hizashi know, the Saito couple had more or less ignored their eldest ever since, treating her like she don't exist, and had focused their attention on Hinami's younger sister who shouldn't be older than three or four right now. Even so, it is _Hinami_ who is basically raising her younger sister as her parents are never around.

Thankfully, Nara Ren had the least problems as compared to his two teammates and best friends. Unlike Hinami and Yuri, he had a happy and loving family who loved him and treated him as their own despite the fact that he is not their biological child. The Nara clan head and his wife have loved Ren as their own, and three-year-old Nara Shikamaru had adored his 'genius' big brother. Ren is also likely the first Nara in history who even _bothered_ to pick up a pen and answer his test questions, much to Hizashi's amusement.

The Hyuuga actually knew that Nara Shikaku wasn't too pleased when the Academy had first approached him to ask for permission to move his adoptive son and heir into the fast track program, as Ren is way above the level of his own age group. The Nara head knew all too well about the fates of those known geniuses that were pushed too hard and fast by the village's system, and he didn't want his adoptive son to crack beneath the pressure like he'd seen happen to so many.

It is only the fact that Ren's best friends are moving with him to the fast track program and that Yoshino had persuaded him that Shikaku had finally agreed.

Finally, Hizashi looked up as he caught the sounds of light footsteps, and was soon greeted with the sight of his three students coming up the stairs. The trio sat down before Hizashi, eyeing him curiously—with Yuri seated in the middle, and Ren and Hinami seated on either side of her.

"All right. Introduce yourself." Hizashi said, breaking the silence. "The gentleman can go first." He gestured towards Ren who looked annoyed.

"Shouldn't it be 'ladies first', sensei?" Ren muttered, but he looked up at Hizashi and compiled with the request. "My name is Nara Ren. I like shogi and sleeping and my friends and family. I dislike troublesome and loud things. I don't really have a goal just yet. But if I do have one, it is to make my family proud of me."

Ren's answer is typical of a Nara, but seeing as how he is the first Nara that isn't too lazy to pick up a pen and answer everything with a 'troublesome', Hizashi had been very curious to know what Nara Ren is like. He is also reminiscent of most adopted children—in that he wanted his adoptive family to be proud of him.

Hizashi gestured towards Hinami to go next.

"I'm Saito Hinami." Hinami begun, twirling a strand of her brown hair in between her fingers, "I like reading and learning new things. I dislike people who uses others for their own gain and _child abusers."_ Hinami's eyes flashed with fury. "My goal is to become a medic-nin."

As Yuri is the last, she didn't need any further prompting to begin.

"Uchiha Yuri." Yuri stated. "I like fuuinjutsu, wolves and dogs. I dislike abuse and a certain clan—" Hizashi knew at this point which clan that she's talking about, "—and at the moment, I don't really have a goal. But if I do have one, it is to join the ANBU."

"Well then, I'll go last." Hyuuga Hizashi said almost cheerfully. "I'm Hyuuga Hizashi. I'm the younger twin brother of the current Hyuuga clan head. I like my brother and my son and those that I count amongst my family and friends. I dislike…slavery—" Hizashi is careful not to mention the Bird Caged Seal before his young students, though he had no doubt that they knew, since at least two of them are from ninja clans and the last is an earnest student, "and the Hyuuga Council. My goal? It is to help my brother to unite the clan."

Ren and Hinami blinked owlishly—not knowing that much about the clans in Konoha, and their inner workings furthermore. Yuri however didn't look that surprised, as Kakashi had made sure that he didn't send his sister into the Academy ignorant, especially with just how much that the Uchiha clan is out for her blood.

"All right, so introductions are done." Hizashi cleared his throat loudly. "Now, we're going to have a genin test to determine if you're worthy enough to become genin—the graduation exam that you three have taken are just to weed out the worthy from the unworthy." Hizashi waited, almost expecting to hear angry outbursts, but the three kids in front of him didn't react.

Ren had a grin on his face. "Shin-nii told me about the 'final test'," he volunteered the information. "I told Hinami and Yuri, so we already know that there is a final test apart from the one we took in the Academy."

Hizashi's eye twitched. He doesn't know who this 'Shin-nii' is, but if he ever finds out which Nara is the one that told Ren about it, he'd strangle them. Hopefully, this Shin didn't tell Ren about the _real_ motive of said test.

"All right, smartass. Since you know so much, why don't you tell your teammates about the final test?" Hizashi retorted, annoyed.

"This final test is the one that would determine if we're real genin or not, as it also has a sixty percentage chance of failure." Ren said, almost bored. "It would be more, but as Konoha is still rebuilding our forces due to the war, they've lessened the entry and passing requirements. It is why Itachi, Yuri, Hinami and myself could enter the fast track program at our age."

"Well, as your teammate had so kindly explained, there is another test to determine if your names would be appearing on Konoha's ninja roster or if you would be booted back to the Academy." Hizashi said, appearing to be almost bored, but in actuality, was actually carefully assessing his students. "Follow me to Training Ground 5. We'll be having our test there in an hour."

* * *

Hizashi had both sensed and seen a certain group of young jounins hiding in the trees of Training Ground 5 when his students have turned up thirty minutes into the allotted hour that he had given them to find the training ground.

"All right, are you three ready to start your test?" Hizashi questioned, and was greeted with determined nods from the three in front of him. "Okay, here is your test. Are you three familiar with the Leaf Bank?" Again, all three nodded, only a little confused this time. "Here is your test then: I want you three to infiltrate the bank and bring back the private details of the bank manager. And _you must not be caught."_ Hizashi emphasised heavily on the last words. "You have nine hours until sunset and the bank closes to finish this test." Hizashi jabbed one finger upwards towards the sky. "If you fail to do that, all three of you will fail instantly and be booted back to the Academy. Any questions?"

Hinami was the first to ask a question. "Are we allowed to use _any_ method available to us?" she enquired.

" _Any_ method that will not cripple or kill any Leaf inhabitant permanently." Hizashi hastily amended his words.

"Apart from that, everything else goes, right?" Ren had an almost evil smirk on his face just then.

"Yes?" Hizashi is starting to have a very bad feeling about this. Should he really be assigning a test that is designed to determine their infiltration and information gathering abilities rather than teamwork? And then again, it is really pointless to test them on teamwork since they've already been working as a team since they were in the Academy.

"So we have nine hours. Got it." Uchiha Yuri had this _look_ on her face that made Hizashi uneasy. Her older brother had that same look on his face before he'd unleashed mayhem on the unsuspecting Konoha with one of his many pranks. "Let's go, guys. We got a bank to infiltrate." She grasped the wrists of both her teammates and started to tug them towards the direction of the commercial district of Konoha that is also where the Leaf Bank is located.

"So we need wire, powder…" Hinami's voice slowly trailed off as the three disappeared in the distance.

Hyuuga Hizashi felt a sweat drop forming as he distinctly heard faint groans from the hiding jounins. Did he make a mistake assigning this test?

Hyuuga Hizashi then did something he never thought that he'd do. He looked upwards at the skies and prayed for the civilians of the Leaf Bank.

**XXXXXX**

"So we have the main area of the bank here, where the customers either make or withdraw deposits or even create accounts." Hinami was saying, with all three members of Team 5 currently gathered in a park not far away from the commercial district—heads bowed over a map that they've drawn after Hinami had henged into a woman enquiring to open a bank account, and thus, had seen the general scope of the main bank area.

"The vaults should be in the back—also being the most heavily guarded area." Yuri added, circling her finger around said area. "But our target is the bank manager's office."

"It should be back here." Ren cut in, taking the marker from Hinami and adding a room at the back area of the bank. "I've seen it once before when my uncle had to take me to the Leaf Bank to claim the inheritance that my parents have left for me, and also to open a brand new bank account."

"We have to cut through the main area to even get there." Yuri almost groaned upon seeing the situation at hand. _No wonder_ Hizashi-sensei had given them nine hours until closing time! "They'll see us. None of us have learned the cloaking technique yet, and Ren, you haven't learned the shadow technique that will allow you to _be_ a shadow and travel with it, right?"

"We can _maybe_ set off some distractions to lure the bank security's attention along with the bank manager." Hinami said thoughtfully, knowing the civilian procedure of the bank in case of an emergency. "But how do we get to the office without being caught?" She wondered.

Ren then frowned as he tried to remember the exact location of where the bank is located in the village, and both Hinami and Yuri looked at him hopefully. There is a reason why Ren had ranked top in Strategy Planning after all, though Yuri and Hinami didn't score too badly in that module either.

"…Hey, does one of the tunnels for the safety shelter leads _right underneath_ the bank?" Ren asked Yuri who had an almost photographic memory, and she had likely memorised the entire map layout of Konoha by this point of time.

Yuri nodded her head. "A very old one though—one used back during the Second Great War," she answered promptly. "The entrance to it is via the sewer system in the Academy's girls' bathroom. When the more modern safety shelters were created, the old ones were abandoned, and the tunnels weren't even maintained after that."

"What do you have in mind, Ren?" Hinami asked Ren.

"I remember Uncle Shikaku telling me something once." Ren said. "In times of invasion in the past, one of the first procedures for the bank is to take the important documents and retreat underground with it. This was in the olden days when the wills and jutsu scrolls were locked in the important bank vaults and not in the Hokage's office. Hence, there should be an underground tunnel leading to the bank—to the bank manager's office. If one of us can set off a major distraction in the main area of the bank, buying us some time, then we can come up from the old tunnels that Yuri is talking about, and into the bank manager's office."

Hinami giggled with amusement as Yuri let out a low appreciative whistle as Ren grinned triumphantly. "Tunnel Rats, huh?" Yuri commented. "You've been listening to your uncle's war stories again. Let's drop by Chameleon Moon to get the necessary supplies first. Fred and George are saying something about creating something known as 'Dungbombs' when I'd dropped by the other day. I'm not sure what it does, but they said that it'll create a big diversion."

**XXXXXX**

One of the bank tellers for the Leaf Bank was miraculously free of customers for the first time in _hours_ since it is 3PM now, and also the hour that is the busiest when she noticed a little girl maybe about five dressed in a pink dress with her hair in twin pigtails wandering about the floor, sucking on her thumb and looking around as if searching for someone.

She gave off all the vibes of a lost child.

The bank teller put up a notice that said 'Away' on her counter before she left her seat and approached the little girl, kneeling down to her height. The little girl looked at her with huge adorable brown eyes and a quivering lip, looking as if she's about to cry.

"Hey there, little one. Where are your parents? Why are you here?" The teller asked gently, trying not to scare the girl.

The little girl sniffed. "I don't know," she said in a high little voice. "I lost Mummy and Daddy around here." She let out a loud hiccup.

The teller smiled at her, patting her on the head. "Wait here," she said before she turned and approached her closest colleague. "Hey Yuka, I'm going to—"

She never completed her sentence, as there is the sound of a loud explosion before huge amounts of black smoke started filling the main lobby area of the bank, also causing every single occupant in there to gag on the horrendous smell as it almost smelt like rotting eggs mixed with smelly socks and such.

"Gross, what _is_ that smell?"

"Awful!"

"Oh god, let me out of here!"

"I'm going to faint."

No one noticed a now seven-year-old Saito Hinami slip out of the bank cackling madly as she did so.

Part one of the plan, complete.

* * *

In the now unused tunnel, both Ren and Yuri waited right beneath where they would emerge into the bank manager's office—knowing so due to old navigation maps of Konoha that they had found in the Konoha Library and also that they've heard the bank manager's muffled voice.

Hinami was the one that had volunteered to play the diversion, as unlike Ren and Yuri, she didn't have techniques that would either restrain or knock out people or block doors. Both of them knew that they would hear it once Hinami dropped those 'Dungbombs'. Fred and George were both very amused when Ren had asked for it, with the twins stating that they can add it to their list of potential items once they're old enough to run a shop.

True enough, it didn't take long before both Yuri and Ren heard a muffled explosion, and the bank manager's loud cuss. As one, they nodded before hitting at the trapdoor above their heads hard enough to loosen the dirt and debris. And then, with a chakra enhanced punch, Yuri pushed the trapdoor opened…along with a large chunk of the bank floor where at some point; the entrance to the tunnel is clearly sealed off.

"I hope you realise that I'm not paying for the damages, Yuri." Ren told his friend jokingly as they both stared wide-eyed at the extent of the damage. Hearing a muffled shout in the distance, they then immediately went for the files in the drawers of the desk before Ren finally struck gold by chancing upon the file that contained the personal details of the bank employees. "Got it!"

"Let's go!" Yuri told Ren even as she opened the nearby window and leapt out, landing into the shrubs growing beneath. Ren followed her, and both seven-year-olds crept around the back where they entered an alley before they broke into a run, with Ren clutching the file to his chest.

Even as they entered the alley, both children heard the loud angry roar of the bank manager echoing in the distance, "WHERE THE HELL DID THIS HOLE COME FROM?!"

**XXXXXX**

Hizashi couldn't help laughing over the results of the test later with the Hokage and Kakashi when the Hyuuga had to report the success of his test and the new formation of Team 5. The bank manager of the Leaf Bank however didn't find it so funny as he now had a new hole in his floor, though the Hokage had promised to dock the pay of the new Team 5 for the first couple of months to pay for the repairs.

Overall however, despite the annoyance of the bank manager (and here, Hizashi _and_ Kakashi both made a mental note to avoid the Leaf Bank for a couple of months), Hizashi couldn't help but be proud of his team. It also helps that the new Team 5 had discovered a flaw in Konoha's security—the old emergency tunnels, and no doubt that several chuunin teams will be busy sealing and filling up the old emergency tunnels so that they couldn't be used again.

Team 5 had actually succeeded in their test—with three hours to spare, in fact. It was a test designed to be extremely difficult to pass, but not impossible, and they have managed to succeed. For a team consisting of three of the youngest graduates that year, they have done extremely well, and Hizashi is already dreaming of the days when he can turn his team into one of Konoha's finest First Strike Squads.

**XXXXXX**

"Cheers!"

A clink of glasses containing orange juice clinked together with each other as the newly formed Teams 5 and 6 sat together at Konoha's sole ramen stand to have a celebratory meal. As Ren feels in the mood to have ramen that day, the new genins of both teams have agreed, and have then headed off to the sole ramen stand in the village.

"A graduation meal, huh?" Ichiraku Teuchi, the ramen chef beamed at the six kids who each had a bowl of steaming hot ramen before them. "Eat as much as you like today! It's on the house!"

"Thank you!" came a chorus.

"I thought that Hizashi-sensei was joking when he told me that you destroyed the floor of the bank, Yuri." Hinami snickered, wrapping an arm around an embarrassed Yuri's shoulders. "Not even Kakashi-san or Gai-san had succeeded in destroying something even _before_ they become official Konoha ninjas. Our pay might be docked for a few months to pay for the repairs, you realise?"

"Don't remind me of it." Yuri groaned, dropping her head down onto the table. "I didn't _mean_ to destroy it to begin with! I'd better avoid the bank for a few months." She moaned, much to her friends' amusement.

"All of us, I think." Ren snickered. "So what about you three? What's your test?" He directed this question to Team 6.

"Jiro-sensei set us an attack and capture test." Hana was the first to answer, pointing her chopsticks at Ren. "He posed as an enemy spy that we have to capture and subdue within the time limit, with limitations. Almost failed, as Jiro-sensei is damned sneaky. He knocked out all three of my ninken within the first hour with a stink bomb!" Said ninken whined at Hana's feet.

"Good god." Shisui snickered. "At least the worst is over now. We're ninjas."

"…Uncle?" A tiny and timid voice spoke up just then, and all the occupants within the small ramen stand turned as one towards the entrance only to see a tiny redhead wearing an oversized white shirt and blue shorts peering around the side timidly, freezing up when she saw the group of six in the stand.

Teuchi beamed when he saw the little girl. "Oh! Noriko-chan!" he beamed, waving at her with the ladle in his hand that actually caused a trail of hot broth to drip from it, thus causing the six children to try to avoid the dripping hot broth in turn. "Ayame! Noriko-chan is here!" He hollered for his daughter.

"Noriko-chan?" The teenaged daughter of the ramen chef appeared from the back just then, a bright smile on her face as she saw the tiny redhead. "You're here! Are you hungry?"

A loud growl echoed around the stand just then, and the small girl blushed as everyone laughed. Ayame left the counter before walking to Noriko and lifting her onto the furthest stool from Teams 5 and 6, as the small girl is still too short to get onto the stool herself. And it is then that Yuri noticed that the small girl's feet were bare and covered with scraps and cuts. She narrowed her eyes.

"Ayame." Teuchi handed his daughter a first aid kit from behind the counter which his daughter took without a word, opening it and removing several solutions and getting to work to tend to the numerous bruises, cuts and injuries visible on the small girl's body.

Teams 5 and 6 exchanged worried and concerned looks as one before turning their gaze back to the small girl whilst trying not to make it look so obvious. All of them knew who she is the moment they heard the name 'Noriko' and had seen the whisker-like marks on her cheeks.

That's the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

Only those aged seven and up knew about it—having been at an age old enough to remember the Kyuubi attack, but to speak of it is an immediate death sentence. Yuri knew that Kakashi had wanted to adopt Noriko after the Kyuubi attack, but he was refuted by the Hokage as everyone knows that Kakashi is the Yondaime's student, and if he took in Noriko, there will be questions asked. Questions that they will find difficult to answer.

Yuri hadn't thought about the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki ever since, as the redhead had been hidden from public view, though Yuri had heard malicious rumours about the poor kid. She had wondered a few times over the years what would life be for Noriko once she's old enough to buy her own food if how the village is treating her now is of any indication.

And now that Yuri is seeing Uzumaki Noriko for herself, she decided that she didn't like the situation one bit. It is reminding her a lot of _her_ own situation with the Uchiha clan—only without the murder attempts.

Finally, Yuri placed down the chopsticks across her bowl, cleaning her lips daintily with a napkin and sliding off her stool. Her friends followed her actions, with none of the ninjas missing how little Uzumaki Noriko had frozen with Ayame in the midst of feeding the small redhead—with the child staring at them fearfully even as she clutched at Ayame's sleeve with her tiny hands.

Yuri gave a small smile at Noriko who only smiled back tentatively over Ayame's shoulder. Shisui grinned brightly at the redhead who only flinched back with that action, much to poor Shisui's confusion.

"Teuchi-san, thanks for the meal. It's as delicious as always. The payment is on the table." Hana told the ramen chef even as they left the stand, with Hana's ninken tagging at her heels.

"What? I told you that it's on the house! Hey! Wait there!"

The complaining voice of the ramen chef floated into the distance even as the six of them walked away from the ramen stand, finally stopping by the wall of a shop that had already closed for the day. Teams 5 and 6 exchanged looks with each other.

"That's…Uzumaki Noriko, right?" Itachi was the first to break the silence, and he looked concerned. By how he looked at Yuri, everyone knew that he's thinking the same thing that they are.

"I heard rumours that the orphanage that she's in kicked her out earlier this year." Ren said grimly. "I think that the Hokage is having her stay with him until he can figure out a more permanent solution. My uncle said that the Hokage might give her an apartment of her own if no permanent solutions are met."

"A three-year-old? Living by herself?" Hinami cut in, disgusted at the thought. "That's out of the question!"

"Not much that we can do, as you know that the Hokage simply refuses to let any of the clans adopt her for political reasons." Shisui tried to stick up for the Hokage.

"She can't be adopted, but that doesn't mean that we should just pretend that we saw nothing of her living situation and leave it as that." Yuri said grimly, and her friends almost shivered as they saw the steel look in Yuri's eyes.

"What are you planning, Yuri?" Itachi questioned.

Yuri looked from face to face, and judging by that glint in her eyes, they knew that they aren't going to like what she's going to say one bit…

"…Let's go and see the Hokage."


	8. Across the Borders

It was well past eight in the evening by the time that Sarutobi Hizuren, the Third Hokage of Konoha had decided to call it a night battling his ongoing battle with the huge stacks of paperwork that regularly populate themselves on his desk.

"Hokage-sama?" His secretary popped her head into his office to inform the aged Hokage that she'll be leaving for the night like she always did. "I'm just about to close up for the night. But I just thought that I should inform you that there are two teams of genin waiting outside for you along with Madam Tonks. They didn't have an appointment, so I refused to let them in. They've been waiting in the waiting hall for hours."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow even as he nodded to his secretary in acknowledgment. For a civilian, his secretary had the tenacity and stubbornness of one of Konoha's shinobi. She wouldn't get cowed by threats, and neither would she give into the threats of ninjas—something that Ninomiya Haruka had proven when one of the Uchiha elders had tried to barge his way into the Hokage's office one time a few years ago. Haruka didn't bat an eyelid, but had just called for one of the ANBUs on security detail to come to her assistance.

And the fact that two genin teams were willing to wait for hours just to see him when this is a day when the newly minted genin teams should be celebrating with their friends and families over becoming official ninjas of the Leaf (or at least, those that have passed the final test) had Sarutobi curious.

The aged Hokage got to his feet, groaning a little as his old bones groaned and creaked as he moved after long hours of sitting down. Honestly, there are times when he'd cursed Minato to Hell and back again for abandoning him to this _Hell_ once more when he thought that he'd seen the end of it after naming the man as his successor!

And…

He felt his heart break slightly when he remembered that the man had left behind his precious daughter just to protect the village.

To be fair however, at the very least, while Konoha _did_ ignore Noriko and the civilians showed quite blatantly that they didn't like her, they have never once laid a hand on her or even overcharged her like how Sarutobi had heard had happened all too often to several of the other Jinchuurikis in the other villages.

Probably, it is because of Uchiha Yuri that Konoha had never stooped that low.

The _entire_ village was miffed to bits when word started getting out that the Uchiha clan had been beating up their own children. The situation got worse after Obito had passed away, and Kakashi had taken in Yuri. Konoha has a whole had a severe dislike towards child abusers after Uchiha Yuri. Probably why Uzumaki Noriko had it the best out of all the Jinchuurikis in the elemental nations.

And it didn't help that Sarutobi tends to keep a very sharp eye on their village's Jinchuuriki, and refuses to see one hand laid on her without some extreme punishment involved. Though chances are high that he has to keep a sharper eye on her once she's old enough to start at the Academy in case the chuunin instructors sees it fit to sabotage her education.

Sarutobi blinked when he saw Teams 4 and 5 seated on the chairs in the waiting hallway. Nearly all six children were asleep; especially considering the time and that they've most likely been through a pretty tough test earlier in the day.

(Sarutobi had to restrain his chuckles when he remembered the results of Team 5's test)

And surprisingly, the foreigner—Tonks Andromeda is present as well, seated next to the asleep Uchiha Yuri, threading her fingers through the child's dark hair, and looking down at her lovingly.

"Hokage-sama." Inuzuka Hana—being one of the older genins there is one of the three that are still awake.

"Why don't you wake the other four up, and we can talk about it in my office?" Sarutobi suggested. His eyes went towards Andy. "And I'm assuming that you're here for the same thing?"

"Yes." Andy nodded before she shook Yuri's shoulder gently. "Yuri? Wake up, child. The Hokage wishes to speak with us."

"Hmm?" Yuri rubbed at her eyes with the all-too-familiar way that Andy is familiar with, blinking bleary eyes at her. "Andy?"

"Come on, Ren. Wake up!" Shisui was annoyed, trying to rouse the snoozing Nara who is currently using one of Hana's ninken as his pillow.

"Five more minutes, Uncle Shikaku." Ren grumbled.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!"

Grinning, Sarutobi headed back into his office. If nothing, that group of genins always makes life interesting. Though he had a pretty good idea what they want to talk about.

**XXXXXX**

Andy walked down the streets of Konoha—feeling safe in a way that she would never have felt back in Britain because she _knows_ that the ninjas of Konoha always guarded the village around the clock. Even now, as she squinted, she could just spy the shadowy figures of the few ANBUs who allowed themselves to be seen up on the rooftops.

Her mind went back to the meeting that she had with the Hokage and the six children regarding one Uzumaki Noriko—with the said child coming to her on more than one occasion for shelter or food. Fred and George—those two imps have taken to the child greatly and have adored her. And considering that she's just Teddy's age, her grandson had grown to like Noriko as a playmate of sorts.

In fact, Andy had been toying with the idea to take in Noriko for awhile now ever since Kakashi had spoken to the woman about his concerns with the redhead. And honestly, it baffled Andy just _how_ the fact that Noriko is the Jinchuuriki hasn't yet gotten out to the other nations, with how the entire civilian population of Konoha treated the child as a pariah.

'Oh look, they are calling that child a demon and basically treated her like she all but don't exist. I wonder why?'

And clearly, just one run-in with the Uzumaki child and seeing how she looks is all it takes to get Yuri all fired up, with her friends right alongside her. It makes Andy heart almost ache as she watched Yuri, Hinami and Ren in the Hokage's office earlier, imagining older magical versions of themselves as they went through all those crazy 'adventures' that that old fool had seen fit to send them on.

Honestly, when Hilda had told Andy about all the craziness that is her school life when the war had broken out, if Dumbledore isn't already dead, Andy would likely rip him limb from limb.

And from how furious that Yuri had been getting in the office earlier (clearly either not caring or not remembering that she is addressing the village leader), Andy knew that Yuri isn't leaving the Hokage's office until she had a proper answer for little Uzumaki Noriko's living situation.

Clearly, Ren, Hinami, Shisui, Hana and Itachi all knew better than to get in Uchiha Yuri's way when she's on the warpath.

" _I have a solution to make all parties happy." Andy interrupted as she saw Yuri fixating the aged Hokage with such a fearsome glare (extremely impressive for a seven-year-old) that if looks could kill, old Sarutobi would have combusted by now. As one, all heads in the office swivelled towards the only civilian in the office, with the Hokage looking extremely grateful to have the attention taken off him. "I can hide Noriko's secret with my ability."_

_Andy is never more thankful for the fact that she had passed off their magic as an extremely rare and unique blend of bloodline limit to the Hokage when she had first applied for permanent citizenship._

_Of course, as she couldn't call their 'bloodline limit' magic, they have to come up with a name for it. It was Fred who had came up with the name—having been a fan of a few Japanese comics that Hilda had introduced him to._

' _Zero Limit'._

_That is the name that they have used to address their 'bloodline limit'. It can do the impossible, and what each person is capable of is unique to the individual._

_Though thanks to Death, they can use their magic without the usage of focal points—without their wands._

" _Your bloodline limit?" The Hokage asked immediately. There are various reasons why he had kept quiet about the fact that one of Konoha's newest civilians has a rare bloodline limit that is unlike anything that he had ever seen before. As none of them seem interested in being ninjas, he could keep that fact from the Shinobi Council. Though it might change if little Teddy decides to be a ninja just like his godmother (Yuri)._

" _Yes." Andy nodded her head. "My…ancestors kept knowledge about our…ability hidden for certain reasons. If you would permit me, I can 'hide' that knowledge from all but a few that you allow to know—that Uzumaki Noriko is the Jinchuuriki."_

It is likely going to take several days for the Hokage to finalise everything, though even Andy had seen some kind of heavy weight lifting from the Hokage's shoulders when he realised that he might have finally found a way to protect the child.

"I'm home." Andy called out even as she entered the apartment above Chameleon Moon, and could already hear the twins' giggling over something that she had completely no interest in wanting to know for the sake of her sanity. "And what have you two terrors gotten yourselves in this time?"

"Nothing Andy." The pair chirped in unison, and Andy raised a brow as she spotted the dark blue notebook lying on the floor before the twins which she knew is the book that the twins used to jot down all ideas they had for their future shop.

"Where's Teddy?"

"Bathed and asleep."

"You have a letter delivered by hawk earlier this evening when you're out." Fred added, handing a white envelope to Andy.

Andy took it with a frown before opening the envelope and slipping out the letter. She read the few lines before she smiled.

"So they're coming here soon," she murmured.

**XXXXXX**

Neville Longbottom was nineteen when he had died, going scant moments after his wife had fallen to a stray curse thanks to one of the Death Eaters that had managed to keep out of Azkaban by crying Imperius—much to his disgust.

The couple could understand why their dear friend Hilda had grown so jaded with the wizarding world after the deaths of her best friends, and why she had vanished without a word. Andromeda Tonks is the only person whom she had kept in constant contact with, and whenever Neville and Luna visited the lady, she had told them what she knew of Hilda, and how worried she had been over Hilda's mental state.

Seeing and doing what she did during the war and losing her two best friends who were as good as siblings to her is enough to do tonnes of damage to anyone. It didn't really help that the wizarding world had all but abandoned Hilda once she'd done their job for them.

It sometimes makes Neville angry and almost ashamed to call himself a wizard if that's what the magical beings are like.

And then two years after the war, and one year after he'd wedded Luna with his grandmother's blessings on her deathbed, the couple died due to a stray Death Eater.

Neville is almost looking forward to joining his parents and his grandmother in the afterlife, and introducing his parents to his beloved Luna.

But he didn't.

His memories of that time are extremely vague by this point.

All that he remembers is darkness. Lots and lots of it until he could barely see one foot in front of him. He remembers meeting _the_ Lady as well.

One of the Old Ones—pantheon gods of the Old Ways that were all but banned by this time no thanks to a certain manipulative headmaster. It is only the old wizarding families that still practiced the Old Ways and the worshipping of the ancient deities.

She had given Neville a choice—whether he wants to move onto the afterlife and meet his parents and grandmother. Or whether he wants to start a new life in a different world and meet the one person who is the closest to being his best friend and help her the way that he never could as a wizard.

It didn't take Neville long to make his choice, though he had asked for his wife to join him.

The Lady had only smiled coldly at him and agreed, though she had also warned him that he wouldn't have all of his past memories intact. Only the most vital ones.

_[I have given you the opening that you've asked for. Do not disappoint me.]_

_[As you command, My Lady.]_

**XXXXXX**

The door swung opened to reveal a smiling tiny blond female with wavy hair that makes her look rather like some mythical fairy. Chiyo smiled at the little seven-year-old child whom she knew is a girl that her great grandson is rather sweet on.

Sasori's departure from Sand had depressed her greatly, but Chiyo took solace in the fact that her daughter's family is still in Sand, and they visited her often—especially after the deaths of her son and his wife, and then Sasori's departure. Even still, much like her son and daughter-in-law, the war had taken them as well, thus leaving Chiyo with her granddaughter.

It actually helped to heal the rift in Chiyo's heart when she carried her first great grandson in her arms. Even still, much like her son and his wife, her granddaughter and her husband both died for a mission for Suna as well, thus leaving little Sewai Natsuki in her guardianship.

Much like Sasori when he was a child, Natsuki is timid and gentle. But unlike Sasori who had taken to puppetry like a duck to water, Natsuki much prefers learning about the poisons and antidotes that Chiyo is famous for, instead of puppets. Part of Chiyo is both happy and sad at the same time that Natsuki refuses to learn about puppets outside of the basic chakra strings manipulation that every Suna-nin learns as part of their ninja training.

Happy because Natsuki couldn't have made it more obvious if he'd tried that he didn't want to be like his deranged and _infamous_ cousin, and Chiyo finally has an unofficial apprentice to impart her poisons and medic-nin knowledge to. Sad because the knowledge of puppetry has been in their family for generations, and Natsuki had plain out refused to use them, though her precious great grandson had suggested that she teach a few of the Suna-nins her skill—something that Chiyo had hesitated due to how the current Kazekage is currently destroying Suna from the inside out due to all his poor choices.

And don't even get her started on how the Fourth Kazekage had created a new Jinchuuriki in his third child despite her objections.

Natsuki however had shown that he had inherited some of Chiyo's and even Sasori's genius skill, as he'd graduated and became a genin at the age of seven—nearly unheard of due to Sand's harshness when it comes to their ninja training.

He wasn't the only one either, as Kusanagi Yuzuki (the girl that Natsuki is sweet on) and Tsubasa Ryoji did too. And due to their young ages, the Kazekage had seen it fit to put all three 'geniuses' in the same genin team, also assigning one of his best jounins to be their instructor.

"Hello Yuzuki-chan." Chiyo greeted the girl warmly.

"Hello Chiyo-sama." Kusanagi Yuzuki, formerly known as Luna Lovegood bowed to her politely. "Is Natsuki around?"

**XXXXXX**

"Red, at Point A."

"Brown, at Point B. Approaching."

"…Onyx at Point C…with the target."

"Already? All right, gather at the rendezvous point."

It only took a matter of moments for all of Team 5 to gather at the designated point that Hizashi had assigned, and all present could only stare as Tora the Hell Cat like what he's known as—the nightmare of every Konoha genin is currently purring contently in Yuri's arms, snuggling against her. And on the branches of the nearby tree, Hedwig is nearly glaring at the cat with obvious jealously.

"Tora really loves you, Yuri." Hinami giggled, careful not to get too close to the cat. Strangely enough, the daimyo's wife's cat hates everyone but Yuri.

Hence why Team 5 is normally the one assigned to the Hell Cat mission. As the entire team is only seven, it would take them at least six months or so before Hizashi would even consider taking them out of the village on their first C-rank—one reason why he's so harsh on them during their training.

The Hokage had only agreed with Hizashi's reasoning, since their enemies wouldn't show the three kids any mercy since they're…well, kids, so he will be training his team to the point that they could take on anything that the world could throw at them.

If anything, it might let them survive long enough to see their teenage years.

It had been nearly two months since Team 5 had been formed, and they've quickly fallen into a steady routine. Training is from seven in the morning to six in the evening from Mondays to Fridays, with afternoons being used to tackle a few D-ranks for the genins to earn some extra pocket money. Saturday is mainly theory training—learning the ANBU code signs as well as how to read tracks and such. For Hinami however, Saturday afternoons are mainly spent at the hospital learning the skills of a medic-nin. Sunday is the only free day they have to rest up.

As Team 5 has younger genins than normal, Hizashi had trained them harder and harsher than most jounins would have trained their teams. And thus far, Hinami is quickly proving to be their medic/genjutsu specialist, with Ren being their strategist, and with Yuri being their ninjutsu/fuuinjutsu specialist.

Even the D-ranks they took are usually used by Hizashi as some sort of training exercise. The one mission that genins everywhere dread—Tora the Hell Cat mission is normally used to improve their tracking skills. Though any mission with animals involved in it is pretty easy to clear due to how much animals love Yuri.

"Team 5, reporting in." Hizashi told the chuunin assisting the Hokage in the mission room after the usual scene of watching their daimyo's wife squeezing the cat almost to death. Honestly, how Tora isn't dead yet is a mystery to everyone in Konoha.

"Already? That's fast." The chuunin assisting the Hokage that day remarked, marking something on his clipboard. "So do you want to take another mission or resume training your team?"

Before Hizashi could answer, Sarutobi cut in. "Actually Hizashi, since your team is here anyway, I would like you to take on a specific mission," he said, puffing on his pipe. "I'm certain that you're aware that the Kumo delegates will be coming to Konoha in two days, correct?"

"Yes. And I understand that my team is going to be part of the in-village patrol teams." Hizashi said with a frown. "And I believe that I've heard from Shibi-san that a Suna team will be coming to Konoha today for their usual purchase of herbs and plants that they couldn't grow in Suna due to the heat."

"Yes. That is why I wish to alter the patrol teams a little." Sarutobi nodded. "I would like to put Team 4 as part of the patrol squad once the Kumo delegates arrive, and I would like your team to be the one to act as the Suna team's guards and guides. I had word from the Kazekage that the team sent here this year is a team making up of three young genins—all of them seven-years-old." Team 5 exchanged bewildered looks. "They might probably respond better to your team as they're close in age."

 _And we might even improve our relations with Suna,_ went unsaid.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt. And it might help if they have some dealings with foreign nins before I even take them out on a C-rank mission." Hizashi mused.

"This will be marked as a B-ranked mission due to the sensitivity." Sarutobi noted, and he turned his gaze to the three young genins. "And I don't believe that I need to tell you three to be on your best behaviour? Just act like how you would towards your friends, but be professional. I'm sure that you still remember your classes at the Academy how to deal with diplomats."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

**XXXXXX**

Natsuki is never so relieved when they finally crossed into the borders of Fire Country, as they finally have a cool breeze to cool them down.

He would never give up his status as a Suna-nin for anything in the world, as despite the harsh climates and weather, he truly did love his village and the views that he could see whenever it's near sunset. But there are also times when he had wished that Wind Country could ease on the weather a little.

"Be on your best behaviour, you three." Baki, their jounin instructor told them sternly. "Though I suppose I don't have to tell you that. Remember that our relations with Konoha are extremely shaky at the moment, and part of our mission to Konoha is also to negotiate with the Hokage and find a way to regulate our mission flow."

"Yes sensei."

"Will we be heading straight to Konoha, or will there be a team sent to meet us?" Tsubasa Ryoji, a member of one of Suna's more famous swordsmanship clans asked the jounin. Unlike Natsuki's dark hair and Yuzuki's wavy golden locks that she normally did up in a ponytail, Ryoji had unusual silver hair.

"We will most likely have a team sent to meet us." Baki answered before he raised a brow as he spied the shadowy visages of a team dropping from the treetops above not even thirty meters before them. "I think that's them."

The jounin of the Konoha team sent to meet them is without doubt a Hyuuga, though he had his hitai-ate tied around his forehead, and thus, chances are high that he is a Branch member. To Baki's surprise, the three genins with him aren't that much older than his own genins—probably the exact reason why they are the team sent to begin with.

The tallest genin is a redhead with features reminiscent of a Nara. The second is a brunette with a medic-nin pack with her—thus giving away her rank as a medic-nin. The last genin who also happens to be the shortest amongst the three had dark hair and unusual green eyes, with the high cheekbones and features of that of an Uchiha.

Natsuki and Yuzuki tensed as one when they laid eyes on the three Konoha genins, but the Konoha team don't seem to recognise them in the least. Ryoji glanced at his teammates curiously, wondering what has them so wound up.

"Greetings." The Konoha jounin greeted Baki. "We are the Konoha team sent to be your escort to Konoha. I'm Hyuuga Hizashi. These are the genins of my genin team."

"Nara Ren. Pleasure."

"Saito Hinami. Nice to meet you."

"Uchiha Yuri." The shortest female genin bowed to them politely before straightening up again. "Nice to meet you."


	9. Blood Red Wrath

Somehow or other, the genins of Team 5 somehow found themselves slated with being the Suna team's guides whilst they were in Konoha.

As the Yamanaka and Aburame clans need time in order to harvest the herbs and plants that the Suna team have came for, they will be in the Leaf village for three days at least, and thus, the three genins have been slated to become their guides and show them around.

"It's a really nice place." Tsubasa Ryoji remarked even as they walked through the bustling marketplace of Konoha on their second day here.

Even though they're technically here as guests, Hizashi and Baki have cleared it with the Hokage so that the Suna-nins could take on some missions together with Team 5 as a kind of inter-village bonding exercise even though they won't get paid. As Team 5 are still taking on D-ranks, with Hizashi refusing to take them out of the village until he's confident enough that they can take on a chuunin-level ninja at least, the Hokage doesn't see too many problems with it.

"Yeah." Yuzuki nodded next to Natsuki, looking at the bright and cheery atmosphere of the marketplace. If she compares it to the almost desolate atmosphere of Suna's, then the difference is like night and day.

"What is Suna like?" Hinami asked curiously.

"Hmm…" The three Suna genins exchanged looks with each other. "Hot?"

"Sandstorms. Lots and lots of it." Yuzuki agreed. "And wind. At times, it got so bad that no one could go out at all. It gets particularly worse around summer."

"The heat wave can get really bad too." Natsuki agreed. "But the view is really beautiful at sunset and sunrise. It's like you have the universe in your hands if you see it from the top of the mountain."

Ryoji snickered in between Natsuki and Yuzuki. "Yeah, you would know that. You always take Yuzuki up there—even when we were still in the Academy," he teased his teammate who blushed.

"I'm sure that we're all hungry!" Yuzuki said loudly to cover up her embarrassment. "Is there any place where we can eat?" She asked the three Leaf genins who all looked extremely amused. It reminds Ren and Hinami of the teasing they always did to Itachi and Yuri.

"Yeah, I guess it's time for lunch." Ren remarked, glancing at his watch before looking at his teammates. "Should we go to Chameleon Moon? I'm sure that Yuri wants to check in on Noriko-chan."

It had after all been nearly a week since Andromeda had done who-knows-what and had taken in Noriko as her ward after all. Yuri honestly still have no idea what Andromeda has done, and how that strange bloodlimit of theirs works, but whatever it is, it seems that it had succeeded in wiping the memories of everyone who have once known that Uzumaki Noriko is the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki. Everyone sans for a few.

"'Noriko'?" The Suna team echoed even as they fell in step behind Team 5 as they led them towards the direction of Chameleon Moon.

"You'll soon see," was all that Hinami said.

* * *

"Yuri-nee! You're here!"

A red and blue bullet rushed towards the group of six the moment that they've entered the restaurant, and Yuri soon found a giggling three-year-old hugging her legs, beaming up at her.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Ren demanded grumpily behind her.

Honestly, in a way, Ren could understand why Noriko plain adores Yuri out of everyone and had seen her as a type of surrogate older sister—the same way that little Teddy, Ino-chan, Shikamaru-chan, Choji-chan and even Tenten-chan does. Hell, even Neji-kun, Hizashi-sensei's son who is normally so shy around strangers adores Yuri.

That girl is a marvel with children, and she didn't even realise it.

It had after all been Yuri who had stepped in to help Noriko the moment that she'd laid eyes on her, and had seen what nearly the entire village have seen for three years, but had turned a blind eye. It had been Yuri who had gone straight to the Hokage and had argued with him for two hours straight, refusing to leave the office until she had a proper answer for little Noriko's living situation. It had also been Yuri who had tried looking out for her after that in between her own training, missions and even visits to the other children who have also adored her. And it had also been Yuri who had brought Noriko her surrogate family in the form of Andromeda, her two nephews and also her grandson—and the tiny redhead knows it.

"Hello, Noriko-chan." Yuri said simply, prying the hands of the little redhead from her shirt, and patting the little girl on her head. "I'm not alone, you know?"

"Uh…?" Noriko blushed as she saw the five others standing behind Yuri who all looked extremely amused, especially the three strangers whom she had never met. "H-Hello." She bowed to them. "Welcome to Chameleon Moon."

**XXXXXX**

"It's a really nice place. Konoha that is." Ryoji remarked even as their food was brought to them.

"You've been saying that from just now." Hinami commented. "I really don't think that we're that much different from all the other villages though." She looked at her two teammates. "Right?"

Strangely enough, neither Ren nor Yuri said anything in response. They merely exchanged concerned looks with each other. Honestly, as genins, they shouldn't be privy to this knowledge. But as one is the adoptive son and heir of Konoha's Jounin Commander and the other is the adoptive sister of one of Konoha's top jounins, they are bound to learn a little about the village politics going on behind the scenes.

"…I wonder…?" was all that Yuri said. The girl then looked at the Suna genins in front of her. "…What can you tell me about Suna?" Seeing the guarded expressions on the trio, she amended her words. "Let me rephrase my question: what can you tell me about _your_ Suna?"

At this point, Ryoji, Yuzuki and Natsuki understood what the Uchiha is trying to ask them.

She wants to know what Suna means to _them._ She wants to know what Suna is to them as a village. She wants to know why they love Suna.

"It's home." Ryoji said immediately. "It's not the easiest place to grow up in, especially with the harsh climates and all, but it's where I grew up. It's where my clan had made their home for generations. It's where all my ancestors have shed and given blood and lives for."

"I like the views, and what it meant to us." Natsuki said next. "We're like the desert—harsh and unforgiving when we need to. But that is a ninja's life for you. And like Ryoji said, it is home to us. It's where we grew up. It's where our family lives."

Yuri gave a small smile. "…Family, huh?" she murmured, an unreadable expression on her face even as she looked out of the window next to her at the streets of Konoha.

Hinami and Ren exchanged looks. The topic about family is always a sore topic for Yuri.

True, she has surrogate family. But considering the fact that her own _blood family_ is pretty much abusive and had almost killed her on several occasions, it is almost ironic in itself. What has the world became when your own blood relatives tried to murder you for something you couldn't help?

Ryoji looked at Yuri oddly. "You're an Uchiha, aren't you?" he enquired. With Yuri's features and all, despite her unusual green eyes that should be a first for an Uchiha, there is no way that no one wouldn't recognise her being from one of Konoha's founding clans, despite the fact that she didn't wear that red and white clan emblem on her clothes. "Shouldn't you have that too?"

Yuri gave a weak smile. "Well… It's a long and complicated story," she admitted. She isn't about to tell her entire life story to someone whom she had only just met! "Let's just say that I hadn't been living in the clan compound, and neither have I seen them as family for years now."

Natsuki and Yuzuki exchanged indescribable expressions between themselves. "…Blood doesn't necessarily make one family, Ryoji." Yuzuki pointed out. After all, Natsuki is a good example, what with his infamous cousin and all. She knows however that Chiyo-sama is always really sad whenever Natsuki refuses to even admit that the infamous Sasori is his cousin.

It however didn't seem to deter the current Kazekage's eldest son from badgering Natsuki every chance that he got, as despite how young that little Kankuro is, he seem to have his heart set on becoming a puppeteer that surpasses Sasori. However, as Natsuki doesn't wish to specialise in puppetry, but in poisons and antidotes instead, he had only shown Kankuro how to concoct some of the less lethal poisons that won't be too harmful towards the child.

The Kazekage will have Natsuki's head if Kankuro accidentally poisons himself or something. And besides, it's not like Natsuki had even learned how to concoct some of the more lethal poisons yet, as Chiyo refused to teach him how until he's at least ten, and thus, has some immunity to his own poisons.

Probably why Natsuki seems to have developed this strange habit in poisoning his own meals lately. Baki-sensei had however forbidden Natsuki from doing it in Konoha, as it will likely only worsen Suna and Konoha's relations with each other if Natsuki ends up in the hospital, and he needs all three of his genins at full health should something happens.

"I guess so." Ryoji mused before he blinked and looked out of the window. "Are those Kumo-nins?"

At the word 'Kumo', all six heads turned towards the window just in time to see a group of ninjas wearing Kumo headbands walking down the street with a trio of three Konoha jounins—with one of them being Shiranui Genma.

"Oh!" Yuri recalled something that Hizashi-sensei had briefed them about just a week ago. "They're here for a treaty signing or something. Sensei told us about it. I've almost forgotten about it."

"Treaty huh?" Yuzuki mused, staring at the Kumo-nins even as they disappeared from sight. But the feeling of unease didn't disappear from her chest. As Luna Lovegood, she had the gift of Foresight, and her intuition is unusually sharp. It's how she had made it out of the war alive. At least until she fell to a group of cowardly Death Eaters two years later. And even now as Kusanagi Yuzuki, she had really sharp instincts.

And something about those Kumo-nins is giving her a really bad feeling…

"So do you three feel up for a spar?" Yuri was asking, and Yuzuki turned her attention back to her good friend in another life, and hopefully, they could be that again despite being from a different village. "We don't have any missions assigned today as the Kumo-nins are here. And you could spar as long as you have some Leaf ninjas with you."

"I guess we could." Natsuki mused. "We're not due to leave until tomorrow afternoon anyway. It's when the shipment of plants and herbs are ready, right?"

"From what I heard from Inoichi-san, yes." Yuri nodded. "Shall we go? We have a team dinner at the Hyuuga mansion tonight, didn't we?"

"Yes. Hizashi-sensei always makes it a point to schedule team dinners at least once a week." Hinami nodded.

Hizashi had said that it makes the team closer with regular team dinners, and as it's been a long time since the Hyuuga clan had interactions with those outside of their clan, Hiashi had said nothing. Besides, it makes the Hyuuga clan head's day to see those clan elders seething whenever Hizashi brings his team over. It also helps that his daughter and nephew always adores Team 5's visits.

"I guess we'll be returning to our hotel after our spar then—"

"What gives you that idea?" Ren asked, incredulous, staring at the Suna genins oddly even as Yuri went to pay for their food at the counter. "You're coming with us to the Hyuuga mansion for dinner tonight."

There were several moments of silence as the three Suna genins stared at Team 5 oddly, strangely giving a very good imitation of open-mouthed fishes.

" _Eh?"_

**XXXXXX**

"I honestly don't think it's a very good idea." Yuzuki said uneasily even as they tagged along after Team 5, taking the route to the district where the noble clans lived—heading towards the Hyuuga mansion. "We're foreigners, and we haven't been invited—"

"Actually you have." Ren told them over his shoulder, grinning. "Hizashi-sensei asked us to give you an invitation, and Hiashi-sama agreed."

"Yes, but… The Hyuuga clan!" Ryoji spluttered, waving his arms about. "They're… You know?"

Only Yuri seems to be able to make any sense out of Ryoji's scrambled words and what he is concerned about, as she gave a small smile. "You don't have to worry about them," she said. "We're only having dinner with Hizashi-sensei and his immediate family. Besides, the only Hyuugas whom you have to worry about are just the clan elders."

Considering the fact that Team 5 didn't like the Hyuuga clan elders all that much either, the bad feelings towards each other are mutual.

It is why Yuri never told anyone that she had been borrowing and buying all kinds of books and scrolls on fuuinjutsu to find a way to remove that Caged Bird Seal and find an alternative way for the Hyuuga clan to protect their bloodline limit. From her own studies into Konoha's history, she knows that at some point, all seals that Konoha uses had originally been Uzumaki seals, so the chances of her stumbling upon it are slim to none. If fact, it is likely only Noriko who would have the best chance of doing it.

In fact, Higurashi Keiji, Yuri's unofficial teacher in fuuinjutsu had asked her once if she wouldn't want him to contact his old jounin instructor, Jiraiya of the Sannin to come and give her some lessons on fuuinjutsu. Keiji might be good and close to Minato's level in fuuinjutsu, but Jiraiya is better in some aspects of seals.

Minato is a combat seals master just like his wife whilst Jiraiya uses seals for support rather than combat.

Yuri had however turned down Keiji's suggestion immediately. While she respects the Toad Sannin for his skills as a ninja and as a seals master, she just plain out dislikes him on a personal level due to him disregarding his duties as godfather to little Noriko.

"Too late for you to worry anyway." Hinami grinned at the Suna team. "We're here."

The two Hyuuga guards at the entrance of the mansion recognised Team 5 immediately, and even smiled at them. "Well, you know the way in." One of the guards smiled. "And Hizashi-sama had told us about your guests, so feel free to enter."

"Thank you." Natsuki nodded politely to the Hyuuga guards even as he entered the grounds of the mansion, following the lead of Team 5 who seemed to know where they're going, as they cut across the beautiful gardens of the mansion.

Natsuki was almost entranced by the beautiful flowers and shrubs growing in the Japanese garden, complete with the koi ponds and all—something that he would never get to see in Suna, as plants are a rarity there. It is why Suna had always dispatched a team every single year to Konoha to get the plants and herbs that they need for their medic corps and even their puppetry forces.

Yuri paused in her movements slightly even as she glanced up at the walls surrounding the Hyuuga mansion, narrowing her eyes.

"Yuri?" Hinami called out to her best friend, confused at the dark expression that had filtered momentarily across Yuri's face so quickly that the brunette wonders for a moment if she had just imagined it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Behind Natsuki, Yuzuki had paused in her tracks, frowning slightly even as she half turned in her step, surveying the entrance and even the walls surrounding the Hyuuga mansion.

"Yuzuki, what's wrong?" Ryoji called out to his female teammate. "Let's go."

"All right." Yuzuki murmured before she hurried to catch up to her teammates and friends. The bad feeling from earlier in the day is coming back tenfold.

And Yuzuki doesn't know what, but she is sure that she is going to keep a close eye on the Hyuuga mansion for the duration of their stay.

**XXXXXX**

Team 5 and the Suna genin team ended up staying longer than expected at the Hyuuga mansion even after their dinner, as Hyuuga Hiashi-sama had ended up talking to both his brother's genin team and the Suna genin team longer than expected.

The man had portrayed himself as stern and cold to people outside his immediate family, but the truth is that he truly loves his family, and is overprotective of his two daughters—especially after his wife had passed away bringing his youngest into the world.

Hiashi had seemed genuinely curious and interested in his brother's genin team, and had taken a big interest in them, especially after Hizashi had commented off-handedly that Yuri is learning fuuinjutsu from Higurashi Keiji. Hiashi had gotten the hint immediately, but he had stayed quiet, and had only complimented Yuri for taking on such a difficult skill at such a young age.

Thus, the two teams of genin ended up staying longer than normal. It wasn't until Shiba, one of Kakashi's ninken had showed up at the Hyuuga mansion when Hizashi had realised just how late it had been. Hiashi had actually offered to let the six genins stay the night, but all six have declined, especially Yuri, as Kakashi would likely tear the village apart if she don't tell him where she is.

And while Nara Shikaku didn't show it, he can be really protective of his family, especially his two sons. Hinami's parents likely wouldn't care if she lives or dies at this point, and thus, Yuri had invited Hinami over to her place for the night—something that she had done often ever since they were elevated into the senior class.

The Suna genin team would however be heading straight for their hotel, as their sensei would likely be wondering what is keeping them. And hopefully, his talks with the Hokage had gone well.

"Well, that went well," was all that Ryoji managed to say even as they left the noble residential restrict. "They're really not like how I've imagined."

Yuzuki and Yuri stopped in their tracks just then, causing the rest of their teammates to stare at them oddly. Shiba, the ninken that Kakashi had sent to get his sister had sniffed in the air and gave a low howl.

"Yuri? Yuzuki?"

"Something's wrong." Yuri remarked, narrowing her eyes. "There's something weird in the wind."

"Yeah. I got a bad feeling." Yuzuki admitted, and with those words, both Ryoji and Natsuki tensed.

"Let's check it out." Ren suggested. Much like the Suna team with Yuzuki, Team 5 have always trusted Yuri's instincts as well. Her survival instincts have long been honed to the point of perfection due to the number of assassination attempts that have been launched on her.

* * *

"Stop right there!" Hyuuga Hizashi roared even as he took off after the kidnapper currently carting two child-sized bundles under each arm.

Honestly, he is never as thankful as this night that the antics of his team had kept him awake, as he likely would have fallen to the sleeping genjutsu that had enveloped the entire clan compound if he isn't awake and alert. As it is, Hizashi had managed to break the genjutsu with little to no difficulty, and had quickly spied the masked kidnapped taking off over the walls of the Hyuuga mansion with two child-sized bundles—two children whom Hizashi quickly identified as his son and his niece.

"Damn, caught up to me, have you?" The masked man cursed even as he shifted Hizashi's unconscious son, placing him over his shoulder so that he has a hand free to fight. "You Hyuugas are a real pain in the ass. The only good thing you have going for you is just that freaky bloodlimit of yours."

"Give Neji and Hinata-sama back!" Hizashi growled, his eyes blazing into the Byakugan even as the veins bulged around his eyes, and he dropped into the Jyuuken stance.

"Why don't you try to get them back then?" The man taunted.

Hizashi didn't need any further prompting even as he dashed forward, striking at the man with a Jyuuken strike only to have the man dodge easily. And of course, Hizashi cursed internally. If this man is insane enough to attempt a kidnapping attempt on the Hyuuga mansion, he must have trained to fight against a Hyuuga.

And Hizashi cursed the fact that he had left his sword behind in his haste to reach the kidnapper. Unlike his brother, Hizashi's true talent lies in swordsmanship, though he is skilled in his Jyuuken—having trained with his twin since early childhood and even after he was placed in the Branch House. The twins have never let the differences between the two Houses come between them, and it had been a childhood dream of theirs ever since they were kids to someday unite the clan as one.

It had also been Hiashi who had encouraged Hizashi to take up swordsmanship outside of learning outside skills to expand on his skills' list. And in turn, Hizashi had assisted his twin brother from the shadows to gain allies to hopefully rid the clan of their elders.

"It is futile." The kidnapper taunted even as he dodged Hizashi's Jyuuken strikes again and again. "I'm assuming that you're one of those Hyuugas that don't depend on your Jyuuken in combat. You're at a severe disadvantage here."

"Don't count me out just yet!" Hizashi growled. "Give the children back!"

"You're annoying." The kidnapper growled. "Go and annoy King Enma!"

Hizashi's eyes widened as he saw the familiar blue chakra of lightning chakra—given the number of times he had seen Yuri practicing her lightning jutsu during team training sessions, he is familiar with it by now. Unlike most Uchihas, Yuri had an unusually strong affinity for lightning, something that had pleased the girl, as she obviously don't want anything linking her back with her 'clan'.

And though Yuri is still a little too young to be learning some of the more difficult and advanced lightning jutsu, even the few D and C-rank lightning jutsus that Kakashi had taught her could be almost lethal if one knows how to use it correctly.

Amongst the battle elements, lightning is also known as the most _destructive_ element for a reason. Unlike the other elements, lightning can never be used to protect and defend. It could only be used to _destroy._

_No…_

"Die!"

And then, Hizashi felt as all his insides were fried to nothingness even as a lightning filled fist was rammed into his gut.

"…N-Neji… Hinata-sama…" Hizashi coughed out blood, unable to move because of the attack, and he could already feel himself slipping into unconsciousness.

"Just stay down there and die already!"

"I don't think so." A cool voice echoed out into the night air, and before either one of the jounins could react, a blue whip curled itself around the kidnapper's free hand, thus trapping the limb. Two blurs darted by the man, snatching up the two children.

Then, before Hizashi even knew what is going on, he found his own genin team as well as that of the Suna genin team surrounding him, furious expressions on their faces.

The capture and retrieval of the captor as well as the two children had taken less than a minute to pull off due to the two genin teams taking the captor completely by surprise. The two children were also slowly starting to stir, with whatever that had been keeping them unconscious now starting to wear off.

"Hizashi-sensei!" Hinami cried out in horror at seeing the horrific state that her teacher is in. She knows lightning burns when she sees one, given the number of times that Yuri had burnt her hands with lightning chakra when trying to get a new lightning jutsu right. "Dear god…"

"Give me some room!" Natsuki ordered, kneeling by Hizashi's side, and his hands glowed blue before plants started emerging from out of nowhere, much to the bewilderment of the Konoha genins, even as the plant life wrapped itself around Hizashi's limbs and glowed with green healing chakra. "Hinami, you're a medic-nin, aren't you? Help me out here!"

"R-Right!"

"Is that…Mokuton?" Ren asked, bewildered, looking from Hizashi to Natsuki. "What in the…?"

"It's not Mokuton." Ryoji answered quickly, not removing his eyes from the kidnapper who is slowly starting to get to his feet. "Natsuki has a rare bloodline limit. It enables him to create and manipulate plant life, true. But it is only good for defense and healing purposes."

That is part of the reason why Natsuki never wanted to be a combat orientated ninja like how Ryoji had hoped to be. It is why he had focused more in poisons and healing rather than puppetry.

"No good! He's not healing!" Hinami cried, tears spilling out from her eyes even as she tried to pour more healing chakra into her jounin instructor. "Sensei! _Sensei!"_

The expression on Yuri's face is almost murderous even as she looked at Hizashi to the two sobbing children who are currently seeking comfort from her. She passed the two children silently to Ren and Yuzuki who looked at her, bewildered, even as she got to her feet.

"Yuri?"

The kidnapper was slowly getting to his feet, spitting out a tooth as well as a glob of blood on the pavement, glaring at the two teams of genin. "You damn brats… How dare you…!"

Yuri reached onto her back and drew out the sword that Kakashi had made her promise _never_ to use unless it's a dire emergency. And honestly, Yuri felt that that time is now.

Already on the way to blacking out completely, Hizashi saw even through his blurring vision what Yuri is doing, and he coughed.

" _No matter what, don't let Yuri use that sword."_

"…No…" Hizashi wheezed. "Yuri… Don't…!"

"…It is time to wake up." Yuri whispered. As if on cue, an almost eerie wind started to pick up, thus causing the kidnapper to pause in his tracks. Yuzuki immediately covered Neji's eyes, feeling that the two children shouldn't see this. Taking his cue from Yuzuki, Ren did the same for Hinata. Yuri raised Muramasa. "Awaken from your slumber. I call upon you. _Drink my blood, Muramasa!"_

An explosion of dark chakra and malice broke out from Yuri just then, causing all genins present to shield their faces, and for Yuzuki and Ren to cling onto the two terrified children. Eerie wailing could almost be heard even as lightning flashed up the skies momentarily.

"You damned brat!"

Yuri wasn't deterred in the least even as the kidnapper came at her, with a fist filled with lightning chakra. She dodged it with ease even as she raised Muramasa— _that already had its blade glowing black—_ and lobbed off his arm.

The kidnapper let out a pained howl even as he nursed the bleeding stump of what had once been his right arm.

"Yuri, don't kill him!" Ren shouted to Yuri, almost terrified at what he is seeing his best friend doing. Seeing the lightning chakra and all made Ren suspect that it might just be a Kumo-nin behind that mask, and if he dies under the hands of a Konoha ninja, the consequences might just be dire. "Just knock him out! Hizashi-sensei wouldn't want this! Don't lose yourself!"

Yuri paused in her tracks even as she raised Muramasa above her head, ready to end the life of the man who had almost killed her sensei and had abducted two children from the village.

_When the time comes, you might just find yourself seeking vengeance. But that is not a ninja's job. Kill only if you have to. But do it out of duty and not out of vengeance. This isn't what Obito would want for you._

Yuri remembered Kakashi's words to her the day when she'd graduated and had worn her hitai-ate.

Then, she felt the almost familiar sensation of wings even as Sekki landed on her shoulder, his red eyes looking from the kidnapper to Yuri. The wagtail gave a low chirrup.

… _My Master… Do you desire vengeance?_

Yuri closed her eyes, trying to calm herself and in turn, calm Muramasa's murderous tendencies due to how long it had been since the sword's power was last unleashed.

_Would Obito be proud of you if he could see you like this?_

"…No… Not this time." Yuri answered at last even as the chakra surrounding the blade died away. "Not this time."

And then, blurs that are the patrolling ANBU teams have started turning up, including Hyuuga Hiashi and a group of three Hyuuga Branch members, all of them looking furious and terrified all at once when they saw what had transpired to Hizashi.

"…This…isn't what I want." Yuri turned to face her friends and her sensei.

Yuzuki's eyes widened when she saw the unmistakable blood red eyes of the Sharingan looking back at her from Yuri's eyes.

"…Sharingan…" she murmured. _What is this feeling?_

Hizashi felt himself being drawn into the arms of slumber at long last, even as darkness slowly enveloped him. _'…Yuri… Hinami… Ren… Take care of Neji…'_


	10. Ever Hope is Blessed

Hatake Kakashi probably broke all speed records the moment that he had returned to Konoha with his ANBU squad after their border patrol mission only to be filled in by the edgy Hokage on what had happened to Hyuuga Hizashi, and that Team 5 had a hand in capturing the kidnapper together with the assistance of the genin team from Suna.

Captain Dog's ANBU team had winced as one behind their masks when the Hokage had filled their captain about the incident less than two hours ago and killing intent had immediately filled the office.

Hatake Kakashi's thin temper when it involves his little sister is well known in the village by now. The time when he'd delivered five Uchiha ninjas with multiple broken bones and lacerations to the Hokage was still talked about in the village now, especially since half the village had seen how Kakashi had ordered his ninken to maul those idiots.

Following that, Captain Dog had ordered his vice-captain Taka to file the report before returning to ANBU headquarters and had immediately changed out of his ANBU uniform and back into his usual jounin uniform before dashing straight to the hospital.

By the flurry of activity happening within the hospital, especially at this hour, Kakashi knew without a doubt that the hospital's staff are all busy trying to save the life of Hyuuga Hizashi. Heads will roll if Hizashi ever dies, as Hyuuga Hiashi will no doubt want the life of the one who had harmed his twin.

The man is protective over his immediate family, and is particularly overprotective of his two daughters. Kakashi almost pitied the man once his two daughters are old enough to start dating.

The nurse at the receptionist desk had pointed Kakashi towards the Emergency section of the hospital when he had asked, and was quick to hurry towards said section. It says a lot if Kakashi knew where to go without even asking, seeing as how Yuri had been admitted to said section of the hospital countless times.

Kakashi skidded around a corner, and was immediately met with the sight of a sobbing Hinami who is crying into her hands, and Ren was trying to comfort her awkwardly by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The Suna genin team isn't around, and Kakashi knew that some of the ANBUs who were part of the investigation squad had taken them for questioning before escorting them back to their worried jounin sensei.

And as for Yuri…

"Yuri!"

Yuri looked up at the sound of her name with red-rimmed eyes, and her eyes widened at the sight of Kakashi. She immediately leapt off the plastic chair in the waiting area that she's sitting on, having drawn her knees up to her chest, and immediately ran towards Kakashi.

"Nii-chan!"

Kakashi immediately wrapped the small girl in his embrace, feeling her shaking. He pushed her away to survey her state and frowned beneath his mask when he saw her red-rimmed eyes. "Are you all right? Is Hizashi-san…?"

Yuri shook her head. "They ended surgery ten minutes ago," she told Kakashi, with her voice cracking up. "Hiashi-sama is with him now. Hizashi-sensei is in a coma. They barely managed to save his life, but they don't know when he's going to wake up. The injuries inflicted on him are too grievous. Even if he could wake, they don't know if he could be a ninja again."

Kakashi froze when he heard the last part, and immediately held Yuri close with those words.

Not be a ninja again?

Hizashi was just fine when he met the older man the other day at the Missions Desk, and the man had even joked, saying that he'll retire as a ninja once he sees his genin team become jounin and had seen his son all grown up.

What of Hizashi's son? Neji shouldn't be much older than four—not much older than Noriko-chan or even little Teddy. What is going to happen to him now? Hizashi is all that he has left, as his mother had died giving birth to him.

Oh Gods…

Kakashi held Yuri close.

Why did this happen?

**XXXXXX**

The Suna genin team ended up staying for an additional week due to the fuss revolving around the Hyuuga incident. As a preservation seal was placed on the bag that had the herbs and plants that they were originally here for, they don't have to worry about the plants withering before they've even gotten back to Suna.

Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko—two of Konoha's top interrogators have worked on the man whom Team 5 and the Suna team have captured non-stop for two days after the Hokage had signed an order to allow them to perform unrestricted interrogation on the man.

It didn't take long for the man to break under the mercy tendencies of Ibiki and Anko. The head interrogator had later presented his findings to the Hokage who was then in a meeting with Homura, Nara Shikaku, Hyuuga Hiashi and even the Suna jounin who was acting as Suna's representative after the Kazekage had gotten word of what had happened, and had ordered Baki to act as their representative in light of everything.

The man had been a Kumo-nin, though with how he had been throwing lightning attacks all around like nobody's business, it didn't take long for them to figure it out. Ibiki however was cussing up a storm when they'd unmasked him, and the Kumo-nin turned out to be the Kumo ambassador.

Hyuuga Hiashi had been furious for days ever since the attack on his brother, and so was the Hokage, as two young children have almost been abducted from Konoha's walls.

Two ANBU teams were sent to investigate the belongings of the Kumo ambassador, despite the protests of the civilian council that doing so would harm their relations with Kumo as ambassadors have political immunity. Sarutobi Hiruzen had however ignored all their protests, stating that their agreement with Kumo is as good as null, since _they_ were the ones who have harmful intentions in mind when they'd first entered Konoha for the pretence of signing a peace treaty.

Surprisingly, Shimura Danzo had agreed with Sarutobi's actions, and was even pleased with his methods, as the War Hawk had felt that Kumo shouldn't get away with their actions.

The Kumo-nin was here to kidnap a Hyuuga child for the purpose of breeding their own clan of Byakugan users, Ibiki had reported. Hell, they'd almost succeeded too, if the Kumo-nin didn't have the unfortunate luck to run into Team 5 and the Suna team on his way out.

Hiashi counted his fortunes for the thousandth time since his brother was out of surgery that he had invited both teams over for dinner that night. If he hadn't, he would most likely be preparing for Hizashi's funeral now, and Neji would be hating him to bits. The small boy had already blamed him for his father's comatose state. If not for Uchiha Yuri taking Neji and Hinata aside and speaking to him, he probably still would.

Neji had been strangely protective over Hinata ever since. For the past three days since the attack, both Hyuuga children have been entrusted into the care of Tonks Andromeda, with Noriko and Teddy delighted to have two new playmates to play with. Children are incredibly resilient, and Noriko and Teddy have managed to bring both the Hyuuga children out of their shells and get over the trauma.

The Raikage had even made his way to Konoha three days after the attack on Hyuuga Hizashi, acting all pompous and mighty, declaring that Konoha had broken the treaty on _their_ side, and had demanded for a Hyuuga's head as reparations.

(Hiashi had nearly broken the table that he is seated at with that declaration at that point)

Thankfully for everyone involved however, Sarutobi Hiruzen is in no mood to deal with the boisterous Raikage and had been in a hissy mood ever since Ibiki had given him the full details of the interrogation. It was also fortunate for Konoha that Suna had thrown their support behind them, as a genin team of theirs was also present at the scene when the Kumo-nin had attacked Hyuuga Hizashi and had attempted to abduct two Hyuuga children (one whom just so happened to be Team 5's sensei's son).

(Privately however, Hiruzen is certain that the Kazekage is so accommodating in this situation because he had hoped to improve Suna's relations with Konoha)

The long and short of it was that the Raikage's threat was thrown back on its head when Konoha _and_ Suna have _both_ threatened Kumo's trade with Fire Country and Wind Country. While it is true that Konoha is still recovering from the Kyuubi attack, and the rest of the elemental nations were still recovering from the Third Great Shinobi War, they could threaten Kumo's trade routes that is a sure fire way to make the Raikage back down.

No kage, no matter how idiotic, would risk his country's trade routes with another, especially not if said country is also fast friends and allies with a neighbouring country that can very well starve Cloud and render them penniless within a year if they block off all their trade routes.

Let's not let it be said that Konoha is said to be the greatest of the Five for a reason.

And Sarutobi Hiruzen is called the God of Shinobi for a reason too. He didn't get to be called that for his prowess as a ninja alone. If it was just for his ninja prowess, he wouldn't even be the longest reigning kage of any nation.

The end of it was that the Raikage had to swallow his pride and make a public apology, also allowing Konoha to exact their punishment on the man who had almost made away with two Hyuuga children and was responsible for nearly killing the brother of the Hyuuga clan head.

(Danzo is almost certain that the Hyuuga clan would lynch the man alive. In several ways, it might even be a kinder fate if the Raikage had been the one to handle his punishment)

The Raikage was even forced to hand over three A-rank lightning jutsu scrolls to Konoha as reparations that the Hokage had given to Kakashi for Yuri, as she had essentially been the one to stop the Kumo-nin from making off with the Hyuuga children.

All that had happened over a week ago, and both sides were exhausted by the end of it. The Suna genin team have also gone home by now, though Natsuki and Yuzuki have kept their promises, and have written regularly to Team 5 via messenger birds.

In one of their letters, it is stated that due to their part to play in the incident, it seemed to have improved Suna's relations with Konoha, and their mission intake had increased just slightly.

Much to Kakashi's annoyance however, once the fuss of the Hyuuga incident had blown over, the Uchiha clan had been badgering the Hokage to either allow them to remove Yuri's eyes or seal away her Sharingan for good because she is 'out of their grasp'—two things that Sarutobi had forbid them. He had even explicitly stated that they are not to go near Yuri, with Kakashi having taken a restricting order against any Uchiha who is not Shisui or Itachi, having been tired of the number of times Yuri was set upon by them.

"It's not your fault, both of you." Ren reasoned, with Team 5 having huddled together on the Fourth's head atop the Hokage monument—their favourite place to go ever since their days as Academy students. "We did the best we could. There's nothing we could have done."

Due to Hizashi now out of commission, Team 5 has been placed on the non-active duty roster, awaiting the Hokage to assign them a new jounin instructor. In the meantime however, they've either been training by themselves or visiting their comatose jounin instructor at the hospital. As the only missions they could take at present without a jounin instructor are just D-ranks, they've stuck to taking just a few each week to make some extra pocket money.

"You sound like the Hokage or even my brother." Yuri sighed, burying her face into her knees. "They said that too."

"Because it _is_ the truth." Ren interjected, wondering just when was it when _he_ had become the voice of reason between the three of them. That had always been Yuri's role. "You know that." He was met with silence, and sighed, looking skywards at the afternoon sky. "I wonder what we are going to do now? Even after we are assigned a new jounin instructor, then what? Where should we go from here?"

There was silence for several moments.

"…I'm going to train more as a medic-nin." Hinami was the first one to speak, looking at her friends and teammates, a determined expression on her face. "I'm going to be the best medic-nin in the elemental nations, just like Tsunade-sama. I'll treat Hizashi-sensei." She vowed.

Unseen by the three, a strange glow surrounded Hinami the moment she said those words.

"I'm going to be Konoha's head strategist." Ren swore. "This would never have happened to Hizashi-sensei if we'd just checked our security thoroughly. I know that it's not my uncle's fault. But…" He closed his eyes before shaking his head. "I'm going to be Konoha's head strategist, or even the Oinin Commander."

Once more, unseen by the trio, a strange glow surrounded Ren.

Hinami and Ren then turned to look at Yuri who is sitting in between them both atop the Fourth's head, her knees drawn up to her chest. She had been strangely quiet for days now, ever since the attack and she'd gotten her Sharingan, and she had since been badgered by Uchihas until Kakashi had threatened the lot of them with his ninken.

"…I'm going to take my Mastery in fuuinjutsu." Yuri said at last. "I've decided. I'm switching my focus to fuuinjutsu as a combat seals master. I'll maybe get an apprenticeship with Jiraiya if Keiji-san's offer is still open."

Ren and Hinami blinked owlishly at their teammate. Yuri had never made it a secret that she had disliked Jiraiya on a personal level due to the Sannin abandoning his duties to Noriko.

"Don't you dislike him?" Hinami questioned.

"I'll set my pride aside if I can help sensei." Yuri responded. "I've decided. I'm going to be a combat seals master. I'll keep my promise to sensei—I'll find a way to remove that seal."

Again, unseen by the three, a strange glow surrounded Yuri.

Hinami gave a small smile.

"And like what we've promised sensei the day that we've become his team, one of us will become Neji-kun's jounin instructor someday in the future." Hinami said.

Team 5 exchanged looks and nodded as one.

_An Unbreakable Vow made as a team._

**XXXXXX**

"So did you receive a letter from Yuri, Hinami or Ren the other day?" Sewai Natsuki asked Kusanagi Yuzuki even as they both took the long trek back to their houses after a long day of missions and training.

"I did." Yuzuki nodded. She had a really amused look on her face. "Hedwig sent the letter for Yuri." For the past several months, Hedwig had been getting lots of exercise by being sent to and fro between Konoha and Suna as a mail delivery bird. She is probably already overtaking Takimaru as fastest messenger bird by completing a mail delivery in just over a day. "Seems like they've been assigned a new jounin instructor last month. Shiranui Genma is his name."

Natsuki stilled. "Pressure points user, Shiranui Genma?" he echoed, and Yuzuki nodded.

The name Shiranui Genma is pretty well known, as the jounin is pretty famous during the war. He had also served in the Yondaime Hokage's personal guard, and is one of the four still alive today that knows the Hiraishin, Namikaze Minato's trademark jutsu. He had also been one of the jounins present that night when the Kumo-nin had attacked.

"He's a pretty skilled and well-known jounin." Natsuki remarked. "Yuri and the other two will be in good hands with him."

"Seems like they've decided on their career paths too." Yuzuki said mysteriously, and Natsuki looked at her knowingly. "They'll go far if they stick to it, and will someday be famous amongst the ninja ranks."

"Did you See something—"

Whatever that Natsuki is about to say was cut off with loud screaming even as hordes of children ran away from the direction of the local playground, screaming something about a monster.

"What's going on?" Natsuki frowned, staring at the backs of the screaming children as they disappeared in the distance, presumably heading back to their houses.

Yuzuki looked in the direction of the playground where the children have ran screaming, and tugged at Natsuki's sleeve. "Come on," she said. Natsuki raised a brow, but followed Yuzuki, trusting in her lead. Yuzuki has never lead him wrong before, whether she was known as Luna Lovegood or as Kusanagi Yuzuki.

The local playground soon came in sight, along with the sounds of harsh sobbing—someone, a young child sobbing his heart out that it almost made Natsuki's heart break at the sorrow that he could hear.

And there, in the middle of the playground stood a small child, maybe not much older than three or so with blood-red hair, bawling his heart out.

Both Yuzuki and Natsuki knew who he was immediately.

Every child and adult in the village will know who the child is.

The third child of the Yondaime Kazekage, and also the Jinchurriki of the One-Tailed Raccoon.

Yuzuki and Natsuki exchanged looks. Now they understood why the children have ran, screaming something about a monster.

The containers of Shukaku, the One-Tail have always been unstable, as the demon eats away at the mental stability of his containers, rendering them insane within a few years. And once his container sleeps, the demon comes out and starts killing.

During their visit to Konoha however, when Yuzuki had asked Yuri off-handedly about seals and Jinchuurikis, with both not revealing the identities of their respective villages' Jinchuurikis, Yuzuki had learned enough from Yuri that the seal on Suna's Jinchuuriki isn't strong enough to hold the Shukaku back at bay, and still let the child sleeps. Yuzuki played with the idea of asking her father to ask the Kazekage to direct a mission to Konoha to help their Jinchuuriki.

"Poor kid." Natsuki murmured, his eyes soft as he looked at Gaara. In certain ways, he had reminded Natsuki of himself in his past life as Neville Longbottom—friendless and alone until he'd befriended Hilda and had gotten to known her better in their fifth year.

Yuzuki bent down to pick up a lone red plastic ball at her foot and walked towards the sobbing Gaara whose sobs have lessened to mere hiccups as he looked at Yuzuki through tear-stained eyes.

"Here you go." Yuzuki held the ball out to Gaara gently, bending down so that she met him at eye level.

"T-Thank you." Gaara mumbled, taking the ball from her with shaking fingers. He turned away sadly, sure that they would run away from him now. Everyone did, even the adults.

"Your name is Gaara, right?" Natsuki asked, and Gaara turned towards him, surprised. Everyone always ran away from him. Even Yashamaru seems afraid of him sometimes. Natsuki smiled at Gaara who only smiled back uncertainly. "Would you like to play with us?"

Gaara's eyes widened.

**XXXXXX**

"…Y-Yuri-nee-chan…!"

"Keep behind me, Noriko!" Uchiha Yuri hissed, pushing the frightened child behind her even as she pulled out a kunai, her eyes blazing with fury even as she studied the Uchiha ninja standing in front of her, blocking their only way out. "Why am I not surprised? I thought that it's only a matter of time before you idiots are up to your old tricks again. I'm only surprised that it took you this long."

The Uchiha sneered. "You sure seemed to have grown quite a mouth on you, freak," he sneered. "Maybe it's high time you learned how to treat your betters."

Yuri glared right back. Gone are the days when she is cowering in fear from the attacks of her supposed _blood family._ "And _maybe_ it's high time you lot grew a brain and learn that what you're doing right now _isn't_ endearing yourself to the village any," she countered.

"Conspiring with demons now, are we?" The Uchiha sneered at Noriko who is hiding behind Yuri. "And to think that you possess the vaulted Sharingan! No more, I say! I say we remove the stain on our name!"

Yuri let out a long suffering sigh, though she is furiously trying to think a way out. She knows that she can never beat a full-grown adult Uchiha more than three times her size, especially not if she has to defend a frightened three-year-old whom _he is also trying to kill._

"You know what? At this point, I'm not even going to bother." Yuri said at last. What's the point anyway? They only hear what they want to listen.

"We should have done this years ago." The Uchiha sneered, brandishing a kunai. "The Kyuubi attack is the start of everything! It's not our fault that the Kyuubi attacked!" Yuri raised a brow at that strange comment, mentally filing that away for reference. "And yet, the village refused to listen to us and shoved us away like we're something diseased! Once you're dead, the village will start respecting us again!"

Yuri's eyes widened in horror when she realised that the man is going straight for Noriko who looked frightened and had frozen up completely.

" _Noriko!"_

Noriko's frightened wide-eyed expression was all that Yuri could see for several moments as the Uchiha ninja made his way towards her, kunai in hand. Almost like in slow motion, Yuri could see several things clearly.

A splatter of blood resounded in the air along with a bloodcurdling scream from a terrified child.

"YURI-NEE!"

And then, all she felt was pain and red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a side note, I've just set up a Patreon account to sort of fund my ongoing original novel writing process. Will appreciate your support, peeps!
> 
> https://www.patreon.com/lusine


	11. The Line to Cross

_Ronald Weasley remembered the one day when his best friend, Hilda Potter had came the closest to dying for real in front of him, and it had shattered all his delusions about the world, and it then really rung true for him—that despite his envy and jealousy over Hilda's fame and name for years, it truly hadn't been easy for her._

_And despite the redhead swearing to himself right after the end of the first task during the Triwizard Tournament during his fourth year that he would never again turn against Hilda, he hadn't truly realised until then just what Hilda dying will do to him._

_It was during the Easter break during their sixth year at Hogwarts._

_All the students have signed up to go home to be with their families as much as they could, no thanks to the ongoing war. And honestly, with how haggard and stressed that Hilda had been looking since the end of their fifth year, what with the entire wizarding community putting the burden of ending the war on his best friend's shoulders, Ron isn't surprised that she had signed up to leave Hogwarts to head to the Burrow together with Ron and Ginny._

_In fact, Ron knows for one that his girlfriend had been pretty miffed and pissed about it for months now. Hermione is of the opinion that wars and battles should be fought by adults and soldiers, not children._

_And honestly, she is right._

_Ron knew that his mum would blow a gasket if Dumbledore shoves a wand into his hand or his little sister, and shove them off to stand against the Dark Lord. You can do whatever you want to Molly Weasley, but you leave her children out of it. Anyone with more brains than a Hippogriff knew that._

_So why then should Hilda be the one facing Voldemort as the rest of the wizarding community buries their head into the sand and refuse to face reality?_

_Thus, Ron and Hermione have both opted to make life as easy for their best friend as possible, thus elevating whatever stress that she is under._

_At least, until the Burrow was attacked during the Easter break, and Hilda had almost died when the Death Eaters have set Fiendfyre to his childhood home._

_Ron had never felt so much terror in his life when Bill had braved the cursed flames with Charlie to get his best friend out when Molly Weasley had screamed in terror that Hilda is still inside the house._

_And Ron thought for sure that he was going to faint when Bill had came out with Charlie with Hilda in his arms, and she wasn't breathing._

_That is the only time when he had ever felt true terror for his best friend's life._

**XXXXXX**

Nara Ren froze in the midst of picking out something for their teammate with Saito Hinami next to him—both of them at one of the accessory shops in Konoha's marketplace, hoping to find something for their teammate's birthday.

"You felt that?" Hinami asked Ren carefully, with both genins receiving several odd looks from the shopkeeper.

Ren nodded. "It felt…cold," he said hesitatingly, unsure how to describe it. It did feel  _cold—_ like a warning. Like something had happened. "What is that?"

_Help her._

Ren's eyes widened when he heard a distinct low whisper in his ears.

A flash went through his head.

_Fear. Anger. Protectiveness. Desperation. Terror._

… _Yuri…?_

"…Ren…" Hinami sounded oddly spooked.

"Ren! Hinami!"

Ren was startled out of his thoughts as the sounds of loud shouting caught his attention. As one, nearly the entire marketplace turned towards the direction of the one shouting only for Ren to realise that it's Uchiha Shisui who is fighting his way towards the two. And it only took Ren several moments to realise that Itachi is with his cousin.

There were identical grim expressions on the faces of the two.

"Shisui? Itachi?"

"There isn't time to explain!" Shisui said hurriedly, immediately jostling the two genins out of the shop and tugging them with him. "You have to come with me now!" He looked at Ren and Hinami, and there is something within those onyx orbs that sent warning alarms through the heads of the two genins. "It's Yuri."

* * *

Noriko was in complete hysterics at the Konoha Hospital when Shisui and Itachi have arrived, with Ren and Hinami in tow. Hatake Kakashi was prowling outside the emergency operating room like an angry wolf even as Tonks Andromeda was currently trying to calm the hysterical Noriko. Nara Shikaku was present alongside the Hokage himself, both who were currently speaking with an ANBU that had blood stains on his uniform.

"Kakashi-san!" Kakashi looked up the moment that the four children entered, and there were even stress lines visible on his face. "What happened?"

"Yuri was attacked." Kakashi said in a tight and taut voice, looking as if he is visibly restraining himself from going after whatever idiot had just gone after his precious sister. "She was…protecting Noriko-chan." As one, every single pair of eyes in the room went towards little Uzumaki Noriko who is currently huddled in Andy's arms. Kakashi's sole visible eye then went towards Shisui and Itachi, and it seemed to the two Uchiha cousins that there is something that seems to be hatred visible in that sole eye. "…By one of your clansman."

Something flashed through Itachi's eyes so quickly that no one but the jounins, the Hokage as well as the sole ANBU in the hospital caught it. Shisui on the other hand wasn't so composed.

"Who is it?" Shisui's voice came out as a growl, making him sound more like one of Kakashi's ninken. "Which idiot is it?"

"Don't concern yourself with it, Shisui-kun." The Hokage spoke up sternly. "I got an understanding of the entire situation, and don't worry. That man will not live to see tomorrow's sunrise if I have anything to say about it." The Hokage then spoke in low tones with the ANBU who saluted and then vanished with a quick shunshin. "I didn't think that they'd take things this far." Sarutobi Hiruzen looked really tired and really looks his age at that moment. "If the ANBU team hadn't been patrolling near that area, I dread to think what would happen—"

"I warned you." Kakashi's voice was shaking. The sixteen-year-old jounin was glaring at the Hokage with such anger visible in his sole visible eye that it even made the aged Hokage cringe, and for Nara Shikaku to tense, ready to hold Kakashi back if he should lunge at the Hokage. "I told you what would happen! You refused to listen!"

Nara Shikaku frowned at Kakashi. "Kakashi," The jounin commander warned, "Stand down. It isn't Hokage-sama's fault—"

"No." Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, fighting the urge to take out his pipe, especially with the numerous notices of 'No Smoking' that could be seen everywhere on the white hospital walls. "He's right, Shikaku. He did tell me what would happen months ago. I didn't say or do anything—"

"To be fair, Yuri was protecting Noriko-chan." Andy spoke up from the seat in a corner, and every pair of eyes turned towards the sole civilian in their midst. The little redhead had seemingly cried herself to sleep in Andy's arms. "So I doubt she was that man's original target to begin with. Even still, it doesn't excuse his actions." Dark fury appeared in the woman's eyes, and every male in the vicinity gulped nervously.

Saito Hinami can only stare with wide brown eyes at Tonks Andromeda, the woman who owned the eatery they've often frequented and who also apparently trusted Yuri enough to name her godmother to Andy's grandson.

" _It doesn't excuse anything! Nothing gives that lemon sucking so-and-so the right to ruin Hilda's life!"_

Hinami frowned when a strange voice came to the fore of her mind. She don't recognise that language in the least, but she definitely recognises Andy's voice. What was that?

"About that…" Hiruzen trailed off uncomfortably. "Madam Tonks, about…what you did for Noriko—"

"I did tell you that there are loopholes in the technique that I've used." Andy said tiredly. "The people won't  _remember._  But they  _will_  remember that they've blamed her for it—or at least, the ones that truly hate her with every fibre of their being. I can use another…technique to mask Noriko from their senses and their sight—at least until she's old enough to defend herself."

The Hokage nodded, ignoring the confused looks from everyone in the room save for Nara Shikaku. "Do it," he commanded. "And also…" He sighed, looking really old and guilt-ridden as he eyed the small sleeping redhead in Andy's arms. If Uchiha Yuri hadn't been there this night for Noriko, would he have been measuring the child for her burial shroud right now? He remembered his student's angry words to him before Jiraiya had left the village for his spying duties.  _'You can deny it all you want, sensei! But the village isn't such a nice place like you think! They will make Noriko's life hell! And once they do, and once your time comes, and you had gone to meet Minato and Kushina in the afterlife, you are going to have a lot of grovelling to do for what you've doomed their daughter to!'_  "Madam Tonks." Andy raised an eyebrow, seeing something in the Hokage's eyes that everyone failed to catch. "I know that I've refused you when you asked—especially after you went to great lengths to use…your technique on Noriko. But… Will you still be willing to take in Noriko as your ward?"

"I am." Andy nodded.

"Hokage-sama!" Kakashi looked extremely betrayed, turning towards the Hokage. "I can take Noriko in—"

"If you take her in, it's going to be pretty obvious who her parents are, Kakashi-kun." The Hokage sighed. "If you want to hide a tree, hide it in the forest." He quoted.

The lights of the operating theatre went off just then, and the doors opened.

"How is she?" Kakashi was the first to question the medic-nin who had emerged, removing the surgical mask from around his face and the bloodstained gloves on his hands. "Is Yuri going to be all right?"

Hayasakawa Seijo held up a hand to stop the flood of questions that he is certain is going to come his way. "She's going to be all right." He reassured the worried room, and sighs of relief went through everyone. "The kunai just missed her lungs." He gestured towards the left side of his body. "If it had actually pierced her lung, it might have been dangerous, but thankfully, it didn't, and Yuri was brought to the hospital quickly. Give her two weeks at least, and she'll be right as rain. I want her in the hospital for observation whilst she's still recovering, Kakashi." He told the young jounin who nodded.

Two of the assistants emerged just then, pushing a gurney where Yuri laid on, a breathing mask taped over her face, and with thick bandages around her torso. Itachi went pale when he saw the state that Yuri is in.

"You can stay with her in her room." The medic-nin told the room at large. "But I will need you to stay quiet and not excite her too much once she's up. Training has to be kept at a minimal once she's out of the hospital too."

"I'll send Genma to you to get the specifics for what Yuri can and cannot do once she's out of the hospital." The Hokage promised, and the medic-nin inclined his head. "Kakashi, Madam Tonks. I will need the both of you to come with me to my office." The Hokage told the two who nodded grimly. "And Shisui-kun, if you can keep Itachi-kun with you for the next couple of days instead of letting him go home, it will be very appreciated."

Shisui nodded, understanding what the Hokage is driving at without saying. Without a word, the adults in the room then walked down the hallway to leave the hospital whilst the younger kids on the other hand followed the assistants to Yuri's hospital room.

One of the assistants had even told Shisui who is currently the eldest amongst the kids that there will be an ANBU or two sent to guard the room in a bit, and not to be alarmed once they actually shows up.

"We knew all along that the Uchiha clan had never liked Yuri. But I didn't think that they'll actually try to  _kill_  her!" Ren raged, staring at his best friend.

Shisui turned his attention towards his cousin who is currently sitting on the couch of the room, legs drawn up to his chest and staring at Yuri with an unknown expression. The older Uchiha boy sighed and nudged Itachi in the shoulder.

"Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault if Fugaku-jii-san  _did_  order this." Shisui told Itachi. For a moment, he wonders if the clan head had truly lost whatever sense that he had. Honestly, their entire clan is so cracked in the head that it isn't even funny anymore. Shisui honestly wonders if he, Yuri, Obito-nii and Itachi are really related to them. "You know that if Yuri is awake now, she wouldn't blame you either." Shisui pointed out.

"I  _know_  that she wouldn't." Itachi murmured into his knees. "And that actually makes it worse. I'll actually feel better if she does."

"Yes, but Yuri wouldn't." Hinami pointed out. "And guess what, Itachi? It is  _Yuri's_  opinion that is the important one here now. She wouldn't blame you. And we won't either. It's not your fault. Both of you." She added, looking at Shisui too just in case the older boy blames himself as well. "You did nothing wrong. You couldn't help being  _related_  to them as much as  _Yuri_  could help being born in that clan."

**XXXXXX**

A monster had been unleashed. And his name is Hatake Kakashi.

News of the 'attack' on Uchiha Yuri had gone around the village faster than anyone could anticipate, even by Konoha's standards. Thus, within a day, the entire village knew the entire story.

If anyone with the last name of Uchiha (save for Shisui, Itachi and Yuri) were outcasts in Konoha before, then after that 'attack' and then the silent execution of the Uchiha who had done the deed after Morino Ibiki had gotten everything he could out of the man, the Uchiha clan have became Konoha's pariahs—the position that Uzumaki Noriko had been in once upon a time—though not that anyone really remembers it anymore.

In retaliation, the Uchiha Police Force have been exerting more physical force than normal on the civilians, and arresting them for even the smallest of offences. Needless to say, it didn't exactly make them popular amongst the village, especially the civilians.

More than one ninja had to step in often to save the 'arrested' civilians from getting beaten black and blue by the high strung Uchiha Police Force. It came to such a point that soon, there is a fine line drawn between the village and the Uchiha clan.

Kakashi's friends were all furious over what had happened. Mitarashi Anko had actually volunteered to help Kakashi torture the hell out of Uchiha Fugaku, much to their friends' amusement.

And though Kakashi might be furious, he is still able to keep a clear head and knew that flying off the handle will not help anyone. The Hokage is barely able to keep the village from erupting into civil war as it is, what with the tensions and the situation with the Uchiha clan being what it is.

In fact, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been calling for meetings with Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu as well as Shimura Danzo periodically. Danzo was all for annihilating the Uchiha clan due to the problems that had been popping up like daisies ever since Uchiha Obito had walked out of the clan with his sister, and the abuse had came to light, but even the old War Hawk knew that doing it at this point will not help any matters. Especially not when the other Konoha clans have been tense and worried too.

Shiranui Genma wasn't happy with the Uchiha clan either, but the man had kept a cool head, and had opted to let Kakashi and the Hokage handle it. His argument had been that Kakashi is already upset enough for all of them.

Shisui and Itachi said nothing, but all their friends knew that things for them  _within_  their clan haven't been easy either due to their friendship with Yuri. In fact, Yuri had even asked Itachi once after their chuunin exams when the entire lot of them were named chuunin if Itachi would rather not associate himself with her anymore.

It is probably the first time that anyone had seen Itachi so upset.

Despite the internal problems within the village  _and_ the Uchiha clan however, life still went on as normal. Missions still went on.

Kakashi was however pretty disgruntled that the Hokage had finally relented to allow someone to take in his sensei's daughter, and it  _isn't_  him. To be fair however, Kakashi could visit Noriko under the guise of having his meals at Chameleon Moon, and Noriko had plain adored Yuri, looking up to her as an older sister of sorts. She had gotten really close with Teddy as well, and the two children have grown up together like siblings.

Despite the Tonks family being a civilian family, it is probably thanks to their association with ninjas all the time that actually led to Teddy and Noriko asking Andy to enrol them into the Ninja Academy when they were eight years old—the minimum age for enrolment in the Ninja Academy—with the minimum age having increased from six to eight thanks to Konoha's ninja numbers having gone up to what they were before the war.

Yuri had specifically taken a day off from her jounin duties just to attend the opening ceremony together with Andy that day, much to Noriko and Teddy's pleasure. At that point, Yuri, Itachi, Hinami and Ren have already reached either ANBU or jounin status—having shot through the ranks so quickly that they've almost beaten Kakashi's record for quickest promotion ever.

Itachi was the only one amongst them to agree to the ANBU's offer, though in the Uchiha heir's defense, even if he  _didn't want to,_  it doesn't matter, as his  _father_  would want it. Yuri, Hinami and Ren on the other hand have taken the jounin exam and have passed it on their first try. Though due to their young ages, they were prohibited from taking on genin teams, and have thus still remained working together as a team taking on missions. Team 5 however have worked on their specialisations even after their promotions.

Yuri had met Hyuuga Hiashi at the opening ceremony, with the clan head being there to accompany his nephew for his enrolment at the Academy. Neji had of course recognised Yuri and had greeted her happily, though there is a bit of an awkward moment between Yuri and Hiashi both, no thanks to the incident that had befallen Hyuuga Hizashi years earlier.

Yuri had stood with Andy and with the rest of the proud parents, recalling how Kakashi had done the same thing for her years earlier, remembering the speech that the Hokage had given. During her year however, it is a lot more serious, as the Third Great Shinobi War had just ended, and the Hokage had highlighted the sacrifices of the ninjas of the village.

"…And with that, I bid all new students a warm welcome to the Ninja Academy of Konoha." Sarutobi Hiruzen ended his speech. "And may your Will of Fire burns strong…"

**XXXXXX**

"We're home!" A very happy Uchiha Sasuke declared as he arrived home with his older brother after a very happy day spent at the local park where Itachi had shown Sasuke how to throw some shurikens. He can't wait for the day when he could enrol into the Ninja Academy which is just a year away.

"We're home." Itachi echoed his brother, though with a calmer tone of voice, removing his sandals, and also assisting his brother to put his sandals away neatly. Though 'home' is as far as it could get for Itachi these days, with how  _unwelcoming_  it had been in recent years.

"Itachi, in the dining room!" His father's booming voice echoed, and Itachi looked up just in time to see Uchiha Fugaku heading into the direction of the dining room without even looking to see if Itachi would follow.

Sasuke looked up at Itachi nervously. He doesn't like it whenever his father uses that tone of voice, as it always made his big brother upset. And Sasuke doesn't like it when it is used on  _him_  as well.

"Is Father upset?" Sasuke asked quietly, tugging at Itachi's sleeve.

Itachi smiled down at his baby brother. "Don't worry about it," he reassured the small child. "Go to your room, Sasuke. And don't come out, no matter what you hear. Okay?"

"O-Okay." Sasuke nodded his head hesitantly before heading towards the direction of his room.

Itachi didn't even start moving towards the dining room until he heard the tell-tale signs of Sasuke's room door closing shut. The Uchiha heir sighed to himself, wondering what has his father worked up or upset this time.

"And what may I ask, have I done this time?" Itachi asked, exasperated, even as he slid opened the door of the dining room only to see both his parents seated before the low table in the  _seiza_  position. He closed the door behind him and silently cast a privacy seal so as to ensure that Sasuke wouldn't hear anything. His problems and issues with his parents are his own. He doesn't want Sasuke hating their parents because of his own problems.

"Why, have you done something again?" Uchiha Fugaku barked, glaring up at his first born even as Itachi took a seat across his parents.

"With you involved? Who knows?" Itachi glared back at Fugaku. For several moments, both father and son glared at each other without saying anything. Uchiha Mikoto was the first one to break the silence.

"Dear. Itachi." Mikoto shot both of them reproaching looks. "Enough. No more arguments, okay?" Fugaku grunted something before folding his arms across his chest. "Itachi." Itachi looked at his mother, and he tried his best to mask his face to not let his contempt show.

Tonks Andromeda is more of a mother to him than Mikoto ever was, with the woman content enough to let her husband rule the house, and she is just his trophy wife. Andy is a tough woman, with guts and the strength to do what she wants without any man dictating her moves—something that some idiots have found out the hard way a few years ago. So unlike his weak-willed mother.

Itachi didn't know why Andy had gone against those civilians at that time. He only heard something from Yuri about it involving Noriko and Teddy.

Itachi had known all along that his parents' marriage had been an arranged one—with his mother betrothed to his father at the tender age of nine because she had been the first Uchiha female who had ever activated her Sharingan at that age.

All in a bid to keep their bloodline 'pure'.

In fact, in recent years, Itachi had rarely heard of any Uchiha marrying outside the clan. Honestly, at this rate, Itachi wouldn't be surprised to hear of any inbreeding issues. Sure, the Hyuuga clan normally marries within the clan too, but that 'suggestion' is only to the succeeding clan head and the family, though there were cases when they did marry an outsider once the outsider had proven their ability and their strength. The members of the clan are free to marry whomever they please.

"Your father and I have been talking." Mikoto said, and Itachi looked at his mother. He is starting to get an uneasy feeling about it however. His mother looks way too excited for it to be anything good, and his father looked smug. Whenever any adult with the last name of Uchiha looks  _happy,_  it never bodes good news. "You're getting promoted to ANBU captain status soon with Captain Dog's retirement, and soon to take the jounin exam—"

"I  _am_  taking the jounin exam, but it is too soon to tell if I am going to be the Captain's replacement." Itachi interrupted, irritated that everyone and their grandmother seems to automatically think that he's Captain Dog's first choice. He is way too young for one!

"Of  _course_  you're going to be his replacement." Fugaku grunted. "You're my son. They would be fools not to."

"As I was saying," Mikoto hastily injected, seeing the dark expressions on her husband and son's faces, "You're taking the jounin exam soon, and becoming one of the highest ranked ninjas in the village. As such, it is time for you to start thinking about your future prospects."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. This better not be what he is thinking…

"We've decided on your future bride is what your mother is saying." Fugaku grunted. "Uchiha Ayana. She's a civilian, and from a branch family. But she is a good girl and will make a good wife."

Itachi gritted his teeth. It really is as he feared!

And Uchiha Ayana? Who the hell is that?

"…I refuse."

Mikoto looks surprised and Fugaku looks angry. "You refuse?"

"Yes, I refuse." Itachi said through tightly clenched teeth. "I will not have you deciding on what I will do for my entire life! I don't even know who the hell is Uchiha Ayana! I won't marry some girl that I don't even know just because you want me to!"

"You'll know her and come to love her once you marry her." Mikoto said soothingly.

"I said I refuse!" Itachi snapped, and Mikoto looked rather hurt. "Just because  _yours_  is an arranged marriage doesn't mean that it gives you the right to decide on  _mine!"_  Itachi breathed heavily. "I won't marry someone just because  _you_  want some girl to be your daughter-in-law! I like someone else. I will only marry her and no one else."

"Who?" Fugaku asked with a frown.

"…Yuri."

Fugaku looks as if he is about to suffer from a stroke with that answer, and Mikoto looked furious. "You want to marry that freak of nature—"

"Watch your mouth!" Itachi snapped, and his mother snapped her mouth shut, shocked at having her son raise his voice at her. "If it's anyone who is a freak, it is  _you_  and this entire cursed clan! Hanging onto useless clan pride and abusing their own authority just because they could! I like Yuri. I  _love_  her. We hid our relationship because we  _know_  what will happen if so. She is the girl I want to marry. I'll protect her—from this very clan if I have to!"

Itachi was taken aback by surprise when he felt a hand impact with his left cheek, and he felt tears stinging at his eyes because of it. His father hadn't hit him for a long time now—not since when he had first found out that Itachi and Yuri are friends.

"You will do what I tell you to, Itachi." Fugaku barked, looking furious. "You have  _no_  right to disobey! The clan always comes first! You will marry Ayana! End of story!"

Itachi glared at Fugaku, cradling his stinging cheek. "Make me," he hissed. "If being your son and living under the same roof means I have to answer your every call, then I'll sooner discard the name of Uchiha!"

Itachi then left the dining room and the house, slamming the door behind him harshly even as he hastily wore his sandals, ignoring his father's angered shouts.

"Hold it right there, Itachi! If you take one step out of this house, then don't even bother returning!"

* * *

"…Itachi?"

Uchiha Shisui was taken aback, a plastic spoon half hanging out of his mouth even as he nursed a tub of yogurt in one hand as he answered his door after having the doorbell rung hundreds of times.

Uchiha Itachi smiled weakly up at his cousin, his left cheek still smarting, and no doubt already sprouting a very impressive handprint upon his face. "Can I come in?" he asked, his voice cracking.

Shisui nodded, standing aside to allow his cousin entrance. He honestly wonders what had happened this time.

"So what happened this time?" Shisui asked after he shoved a tub of chocolate yogurt into Itachi's hands—his cousin's favourite flavour, and waited for Itachi to calm down even as he ate the yogurt slowly.

Itachi was silent for several moments before he told Shisui everything that had happened in his parents' house before he had stormed out moments ago. 'His parents' house', as Itachi honestly doesn't see it as home anymore. And with how unsafe that Shisui had felt recently, he is seriously starting to consider getting an apartment outside the Uchiha complex. And should that day ever comes, Shisui is certain that Itachi will ask to move in with him.

"Damn." Shisui sighed after Itachi finished his story. He is wondering when it will come to that, as no doubt that Fugaku will want a wife to curb Itachi's rebellious tendencies. Along with Ren and Hinami as well as Hana, Shisui is likely the only one who knew about Yuri and Itachi's relationship when they first started one a year ago. No doubt that Kakashi and Genma knew too, but the two older men have kept quiet about it. "I was wondering when it would come to that. Though who in the world is Ayana?"

With the number of Uchiha civilian women in the clan, Uchiha Ayana could be anyone!

"Is it wrong of me to love Yuri?" Itachi questioned, not looking up from the yogurt cradled in his hands. "And for what reason? Because I'm the clan heir? Because Yuri has an ability that they don't understand and fear? Is it even logical to begin with? Is it wrong?"

Shisui didn't know what to say for several moments.

"You're not wrong," he said at last. "You did the right thing. You and Yuri did nothing wrong. You have nothing to be afraid of."

The older boy sighed, looking outside his kitchen window.

Now what the hell are they supposed to do?


	12. Trial of Flames

_~One Year Later; Konohagakure no sato~_

Thirteen-year-old Uchiha Yuri, jounin of Konoha and also part of the Hokage's personal squad HOMRA waited patiently alongside the other parents who were all waiting to pick up their own children, ignoring the curious glances on her person.

For one Nara Shikaku who is currently present to pick up his son from his day at the Academy, he felt a strange sense of déjà vu; as Hatake Kakashi himself was here just six years prior to pick up Uchiha Yuri.

The doors of the Academy flew opened just then, and the hordes of Academy students soon started filing out. Yuri spotted Noriko and Teddy soon enough—with the two children spotting their surrogate sister almost immediately, and they immediately flew towards her as fast as their short legs could carry them, much to the parents' amusement.

"Why are you here, Yuri-nee?" Uzumaki Noriko beamed up at her surrogate sister.

"Did you come to pick us up?" Teddy was next to follow.

"Andy can't make it to pick you up today, so I said that I'll do it for her." Yuri smiled down at the two children.

She caught a flash of black out of the corner of her eye just then, and Yuri looked up only to see Hyuuga Ko greeting Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga Hinata politely—with Neji having a firm hold on Hinata's wrist. Yuri felt her lips twitching. Neji had never hidden his overprotective tendencies over his younger cousin, and Noriko had told her once that she sometimes think of Neji as Hinata's overprotective older brother.

Yuri can't help but feel relieved that she had actually spoken to Neji right after the incident involving her first jounin instructor, otherwise, chances are that Neji would have borne a grudge towards Hinata, his uncle and even the Main House of the Hyuuga clan. And with Neji always there as support—and through him, Noriko and Teddy, Hinata had slowly came out of her shell and learnt to stand on her own two feet.

She likely would never be as skilled and strong as Neji who is a true genius, but she is in no way weak either, and is more than capable of knocking her younger sister down a few pegs should she grow too big for her boots.

Hyuuga Ko nodded politely to Yuri halfway across the courtyard. Curious at whom their bodyguard is looking at, Neji and Hinata followed Ko's line of sight only to catch sight of Yuri, and they waved at her.

Yuri nodded to them, recalling one of the last requests that her first jounin instructor had said to her and her genin teammates prior to the incident that had placed him in a coma.

" _If you ever became jounin by the time that my son is a genin, I want the three of you to promise me something. I want one of you to become his jounin instructor. It had always been something of a tradition in Konoha—for a jounin instructor to be the teacher to their own jounin instructor's kid."_

A tradition that Yuri is all too familiar with, as she knew for one that her own brother had demanded to be Noriko's jounin instructor right after the Hokage had placed the little redhead in Andromeda's custody—with Kakashi threatening to fail every single team he gets if he doesn't get his way. Not willing to rile up the Copy Cat's famous temper, the Hokage had hastily agreed.

So caught up in her own musings, Yuri failed to pay attention to her surroundings even as she led the two children with her away which distracted her enough to not notice a small boy in front of her until she collided with him.

"Oof!" Taken by surprise at being bumped into from the back by someone taller than himself, the boy fell to the ground.

"Sorry," was Yuri's immediate response, quickly bending down to help up the kid whom she'd accidentally knocked to the ground, also quickly scooping up the writing utensils and books that have scattered across the ground when his bag had split opened. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"N-No, it's fine," came the rather timid response as he accepted his bag back before the boy looked up at Yuri for the first time.

Yuri felt her eyes widen a fraction as she recognised the messy black hair and onyx eyes as well as the high cheekbones of an Uchiha.

"You're from Hinata's class, aren't you?" Teddy enquired curiously, looking at Uchiha Sasuke who looked at them nervously. "Uchiha Sasuke?"

Uchiha Sasuke flinched as his name was spoken, and Yuri frowned. Her sharp eyes immediately caught the signs of bruises visible on his arms and even his knees. There was even one slowly healing bruise visible on the boy's right cheek and a smattering of pale yellow and purple bruises just visible on his throat.

"Sasuke-kun, what are those bruises?" Yuri enquired.

Sasuke flinched like she'd just struck him, and looked left and right frantically as if afraid that something or someone will attack him from out of nowhere. "N-Nothing!" he squeaked, closing the collar of his shirt around his neck in a poor attempt to cover up his bruises. "I-I need to go! Bye!"

He then took off down the street as fast as he could go like a pack of hounds were snapping at his heels.

Yuri frowned. What the hell?

"Isn't he awfully jumpy today?" Teddy asked with confusion, scratching at the back of his head. "Did we do something to him?"

"Do you both know him?" Yuri asked carefully in a careless way—acting like the boy isn't of interest to her in order to prevent the two overly curious children in poking their noses into Uchiha affairs.

Privately, Yuri was a little worried however, especially with the Uchiha clan's track record when it comes to children. Especially after both Itachi and Shisui have moved out of the Uchiha clan compound a year ago into a shared apartment in the same apartment complex that Kakashi and Yuri lived in the ninja residential district.

Itachi had steadfastly claimed that it is not Yuri's fault when she had cornered him, with her boyfriend saying that it had been something coming for a long time. His parents have pushed him over his limit when they have tried to engage him with someone whom he doesn't even know in a last attempt to control him.

As both Itachi and Shisui were ninjas and officially adults, and not to mention ninjas that take on high class missions, they could easily afford to live by themselves outside the Uchiha clan compound.

Needless to say that this piece of news spread like wildfire across the entire village within a week when it had happened. The only thing that Itachi was concerned about, as he had told Yuri when they and their group of friends have all helped to move Itachi and Shisui's things into their new apartment (with a team of ANBUs assigned by the Hokage to retrieve Itachi's stuff)—he is more concerned about his little brother.

But as Sasuke neither had Yuri's spiritual ability and neither does he possess Itachi's bullheadedness and his rebellious tendencies, the former Uchiha heir had hoped that this would spare Sasuke from what he and Yuri have to go through.

Clearly not, especially if Yuri is certain what she'd seen is true.

"Not personally." Teddy shrugged and Noriko nodded. "We see him around sometimes when Neji invited Hinata to lunch with us. Hinata said that he's awfully quiet and doesn't seem to have any friends. He's worse than Neji at making friends apparently." He snorted.

Teddy exchanged bemused expressions with Noriko. At least the Hyuuga boy answers when spoken to and will not run like someone is about to kill him whenever someone speaks to him. Hinata had tried to befriend Sasuke when she'd first started at the Academy, but the Hyuuga heiress was awfully hurt when Sasuke had snapped at her to leave him alone, and that he won't interact with 'Hyuuga filth'.

It took both Noriko and Teddy to hold back the pissed Neji when he'd learned about that incident from his cousin.

"But as of six months ago, he seems to be awfully jumpy and getting more and more bruises." Noriko answered. "Over training maybe."

Part of Yuri is relieved that Noriko had assumed that those bruises on Sasuke is from training and not from someone hitting him. Most likely, only someone who had been through a similar experience will recognise those bruises from abuse.

"Have you seen his family pick him up before?"

"No." Teddy crinkled his brows, confused at why Yuri is so interested in the Uchiha recluse all of a sudden. "But I did see quite a few of the other Uchiha kids from the other classes pushing him around. The teachers were always quick to step in to stop it though, especially Iruka-sensei."

"Is there something wrong, Yuri-nee?" Noriko asked with concern. "Is there something up with Sasuke?"

"Nothing that you should be worried about." Yuri reassured the children even as the sights of Chameleon Moon came into view. "I'll handle this. But I don't want you approaching Sasuke about this. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

**XXXXXX**

"Tell me you're joking." Itachi growled as he tagged alongside Yuri as they both entered the Konoha Hospital. A few of the medics nodded to the two politely as they passed, with Yuri leading the way towards the section of the hospital that housed the long term patients—basically those with critical illnesses or are in comas.

"I wish I am." Yuri sighed, wringing her hands as she looked at her boyfriend. She hadn't seen Itachi this upset for a long time. "But I'll know those bruises anywhere. And I even asked Iruka-sensei about it. He told me that after the first bruises showed up on Sasuke about six months back, he confronted your father about it. It just got worse. Even going through the Hokage is meaningless. That's why he stopped interfering to spare Sasuke any further pain—not that it helped." Yuri sighed. "It's like my childhood all over again." She murmured, but Itachi heard it loud and clear, and he growled.

"Sasuke doesn't have your ability. And unlike me, he doesn't tend to oppose my parents at every turn." Itachi growled even as they walked past ward after ward, with Yuri seemingly knowing just where she's going. "He's their son. Their last one left. What did he even do to them to warrant this…this  _abuse?"_

"Sometimes, I feel as if the Uchiha clan  _shouldn't_ even have the ability to bear children." Yuri muttered irritably. "Once I'm done here, we're going to the Hokage about this. If your parents or your clan have indeed been beating your brother up as well, we can't ignore it."

Itachi nodded, swallowing down the feelings of guilt that swelled up. He had a feeling that those hands might have been turned onto Sasuke  _because_  of  _him._

"So what are we here for?" Itachi asked curiously even as they slipped into a single ward room that had a sole white bed. The white bedclothes were drawn over the occupant's face, and the machines were unhooked from the patient. Most probably, it is a recent deceased, and the hospital staff weren't able to bring him or her down to the hospital morgue yet.

"Part of my duty." Yuri told Itachi even as she turned her gaze towards the body in the room. She walked towards the foot of the bed and picked up the clipboard attached to it, reading the patient's name.  _Mizuhara Hanako. Time of death: 3:21PM. Cause: complications in childbirth._

Yuri let out a small sigh before she raised her eyes towards the body in front of her. She snapped her fingers, and the temperature in the room dropped sharply. Next to the door, Itachi shivered a little with the sudden drop in temperature.

"…Time to go." Yuri murmured, gazing at the body in front of her.

For several moments, nothing happened. Then, a small orb of light rose from the body before transforming into a light blue butterfly and fluttered over to her, perching on Yuri's outstretched finger. The light then expanded and transformed into a translucent image of a woman with light brown hair. The spirit bowed to her in gratitude before transforming back into a butterfly once more and flying towards the closed windows in the room.

The butterfly dispersed halfway before it even reached the window.

 _Sometimes, death can be cruel. But it is needed,_  a voice whispered into Yuri's ear.

"All right. We're done here." Yuri turned towards Itachi. She was taken aback at the look in his eyes—following his line of sight to where the butterfly had disappeared just moments ago. Yuri frowned. "…Can you see them?" She asked carefully.

Itachi flinched slightly. "…Yes. It started not long after I first awakened my Sharingan on a C turned A-ranked mission when I was a genin. I never told anyone about it," he admitted.

Yuri nodded slowly. A near death experience then? She did hear from Shisui that Itachi had almost died during the mission that had awakened his Sharingan. It does happen occasionally—people suddenly developing the ability to see those of the hidden world after a near death experience, as Yuki-san had told her a long time ago.

She wonders for a moment where her mentor had gone. She would have liked to see the woman again and show her how much she had grown.

"For your sake, don't." Yuri cautioned even as she led the way out of the ward room. "Your clan won't take it lightly—whether you've self exiled yourself or not. They didn't when they found out about me."

"They're your clan too, you know?"

"Not anymore." Yuri said in a tight voice even they left the hospital. "They gave up that right a long time ago. My family is Kashi-nii now." Itachi wisely decided to drop the topic when Yuri's voice started to border on dangerous. The Uchiha clan is a taboo topic for her. "Let's go and see the Hokage. We need to do something about your brother's living situation."

Itachi's face fell as he recalled just what they've been talking about earlier.

"…Yeah."

**XXXXXX**

Fortunately for the two young jounins (or rather, one jounin and one ANBU captain), the Hokage is about to leave his office to head home when they've arrived. Seeing the expressions on the faces of the two, Sarutobi knew it immediately to be bad news, and had immediately ushered them both in, also telling his secretary to head home.

"…I am honestly starting to seriously consider Danzo's proposal to just eliminate them on some false charges." Sarutobi groaned, placing his head in his hands as he listened to what Yuri had to tell him. He did remember Iruka's complaint to him months ago that he had suspected abuse is going on in the Uchiha household. But all words of warning to Uchiha Fugaku had clearly gone unheard and ignored.

"…I thought that they'd leave Sasuke alone at least." Itachi murmured, furrowing his brows. "Clearly, I was wrong."

 _They're taking out their anger on Sasuke_  went unsaid, but everyone in the room—even the hidden ANBUs could hear it.

The Hokage curled his hands beneath his chin and gazed at Itachi with an assessing gaze that made the young ANBU captain shift uncomfortably beneath the gaze. It almost made Itachi feel as if he's getting x-rayed.

"What do you wish to do, Itachi-kun?" The Hokage questioned. "You're a jounin as well as an ANBU captain. You're officially recognised by the village as an adult and is financially capable of supporting yourself as well as your brother if you wish to. So I'll ask you: what do you want to do?"

Itachi looked at Yuri who nodded at him. Itachi then turned his attention back towards the Hokage. "…I want full custody of my brother, Hokage-sama," he said firmly, and Itachi was relieved that his voice was steady. "And I don't want anyone with the last name of Uchiha—except for Yuri and Shisui to go near him."

Sarutobi glanced at Itachi knowingly, feeling a sense of déjà vu, as it is almost identical to when Obito had first approached him to gain custody of his sister, though he is still an Academy student at that time. "Granted," he answered simply. "Do you want to take your brother with you now or wait until tomorrow?"

"Now." Itachi said immediately, almost glaring at the Hokage for suggesting that he leaves his brother with those  _monsters_  for another night.

"Right. Now." The Hokage hid a grin as he reached for a blank form on the black tray to the right of his desk before writing something on it, and he then stamped across the form to declare it as official. "I can grant you temporary guardianship for now until the next departmental heads meeting in two weeks."

"You have my thanks, Hokage-sama." Itachi inclined his head.

The Hokage nodded. He then glanced at the ceiling before he snapped his fingers. "Neko?"

Yuri tensed, as there was a surge of chakra before a purple haired ANBU captain appeared behind both young jounins. "Hokage-sama?"

"Take your squad with you, and escort both Itachi-kun and Yuri-chan to the Uchiha clan compound to retrieve Uchiha Sasuke as well as his personal belongings." The Hokage ordered. "Take note of the evidence left behind for abuse charges as well."

"Yes sir."

Another surge of chakra later, three other ANBU members appeared behind Neko.

"Let's go. No matter what you see or hear,  _don't_  react.  _We'll_  handle it." The ANBU captain told Itachi grimly, knowing full well the former Uchiha heir's temper.

"…Okay."

* * *

The sounds of loud angry knocking resounded again and again throughout the house belonging to the Uchiha clan head and his immediate family.

With a frown, Lady Uchiha, Uchiha Mikoto hurried to the front door as fast as she could, currently in the middle of cooking dinner. Just who on earth is at the door, knocking on it as if they would like nothing better than to break the door down?

…She got her answer in a matter of moments, and an ugly scowl adorned her face.

"What the hell are you doing here? You're not welcomed here." Uchiha Mikoto said frostily upon seeing her  _former son_  and the  _freak._

"Oh trust me, I will not want to be here any longer than I have to, since breathing the same air as  _you_  do does nothing but besmirches my honour." Uchiha Yuri said coldly, and Uchiha Mikoto looked as if she is about to suffer from a stroke at this  _blatant_   _disrespect_  that is shown to her.

"You—"

"Mikoto, who is it?" The gruff voice of Uchiha Fugaku sounded just then, and the visage of the man soon appeared at the doorway. He had an ugly scowl upon seeing the two. "What are  _you_  doing here?"

"We're here upon orders from the Hokage." Itachi was the one to speak, his eyes cold as he gazed upon the  _people who raised him._  He held out the missive that the Hokage had written—to give them and the hidden ANBU squad with them the proper permission to retrieve his little brother and anything that Sasuke wishes to bring with him. "There are quite a few eyewitness accounts and evidence pointing to abuse charges under your roof. We are here to take away Uchiha Sasuke, since clearly, you have shown that you are unfit parents."

" _Abuse?_  We're just disciplining him—"

"The moment you leave behind marks on that boy's body, that had crossed the line of mere discipline and became  _plain abuse."_  Yuri cut in frostily. "The same thing that you did to me and my brother years ago." Her eyes narrowed. "Where is Sasuke?"

"Like hell I'll let—"

"We have official orders from the Hokage." Both young jounins let out slight flinches as the presence of Captain Cat and her entire ANBU squad appeared behind them. In front of them, the Uchiha couple paled as they caught sight of the ANBU squad with their porcelain masks and short swords. "You can either comply peacefully and release custody of the child to these two. Or refuse, and we will treat this as treason. Which is it going to be?"

Fugaku gritted his teeth. Not even he is fool enough to openly go against an ANBU squad—not when he doesn't have the element of surprise on his side. "…He's in his room," he grunted, stepping aside to allow passage.

"Thank you." Itachi said frostily. He then turned towards Cat. "Can I ask for one of your squad members to come with me to collect Sasuke's belongings as well as gather evidence for abuse charges?"

Captain Cat nodded. "Boar. Tiger. Go with him," she commanded. Two of her squad members broke file and followed Itachi into the house, with neither one of the three even bothering to remove their sandals, an action that had Mikoto's eye twitching, as this is a subtle action of disrespect. "Snake, you're with me and Yuri. We're searching the floor."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now look here, you can't just—"

Whatever protests that Mikoto was about to say was cut off as the silver steel blade of a sword was thrust just below her chin, and she met dangerous green orbs. The Uchiha matriarch swallowed nervously as she met the dangerous gaze of the Uchiha girl.

This isn't the same little girl that the clan was content enough to beat up on a daily basis just because they're having a bad day, and wouldn't hit back. That girl is long gone, and in her place is a trained assassin—one of Konoha's best. Someone who wouldn't hesitate to take out any threats to her or her family and friends.

"One more word, and you might find that my hand might just slip, and I might just 'accidentally' feed you to Muramasa." Yuri said silkily. "He hasn't eaten anything for a long time, and I'm sure he'll  _love_  to feed on some Uchiha blood."

Fugaku growled low in his throat at the sight of the famed sword in Yuri's hands. The famous Muramasa blade. How the hell is he supposed to know that the supposedly treasured blade is handed down to Uchiha Obito from his grandfather, and upon the youth's death, to Uchiha Yuri?

"Yuri?" Itachi's angry voice could be heard just then as he appeared, holding the terrified Uchiha Sasuke in his arms, with the small boy clutching onto his brother like he is his lifeline. Yuri's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of several new bruises adorning Sasuke's wrist that she didn't see earlier that afternoon. "We need a medic."

Yuri nodded. "Hinami's on duty at the hospital today," she told Itachi even as the two ANBUs that have followed Itachi earlier appeared, sealing scrolls in hand that Yuri assumed silently must contain Sasuke's belongings.

"Report." Captain Cat barked.

"We have quite  _a lot_  to charge them for, ma'am." Tiger snarled, glaring at the Uchiha couple from beneath his mask. Even with the mask on, all present could tell that the ANBU was restraining himself from cutting down the Uchiha couple. "We've gathered everything we could, and have gotten several pieces of evidence."

Captain Cat nodded. "…Very well," she said grimly. "Tiger. Escort them to the hospital. Boar, head to the Hokage and inform him of everything. Snake, do another check of the house." The ANBU captain then turned her attention towards the Uchiha couple even as ANBU Tiger escorted both the young jounins as well as the terrified child in Itachi's arms out of the house and the Uchiha compound.

Even still, both of them could hear the scathing words that ANBU Captain Cat said to the Uchiha couple.

"Never have I ever wanted to kill fellow ninjas of my own village. I'm almost  _ashamed_  to call myself your comrade…"

"I don't have to go back?" Sasuke asked timidly, tugging at his brother's sleeve even as they walked down the streets, ignoring the dark glances and whispers of the Uchiha civilians and ninja alike as they passed. But their ANBU escort serves as a pretty good deterrent for anyone wishing them harm.

"No, you don't have to." Itachi reassured. He tightened his arms around his frightened brother, regretting not taking Sasuke away from the house the day he had left like how Obito did for Yuri so many years ago. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I should be there to protect you."

Yuri stroke Sasuke's head gently, with the boy flinching slightly at the touch before turning to stare at Yuri with wide eyes. "You're not going back there. Not as long as I have anything to say about it." Yuri said firmly. "Your home is with Itachi now. And anyone who say otherwise can have a 'chat' with my sword."

The muffled snort from their ANBU escort brought a warm smile to Sasuke's face, and the boy giggled into his brother's shirt, knowing that he is safe now. He doesn't have to worry about never being good enough and being hit for every little thing.

"…I'm home, aniki."

**XXXXXX**

Like several times before during the past several years, news started to fly across the village that Uchiha Itachi had removed his brother from the Uchiha clan compound, and that the Hokage as well as the ninja department heads of Konoha have all granted the youth full custody of his brother due to charges of abuse.

Civilians and ninja alike were outraged, as this is like with Uchiha Yuri all over again when Uchiha Obito had barely managed to save her from being burned alive in a warehouse and had gone straight to Senju Tsunade, begging the startled Senju to save his sister.

"I'm telling you, there's something wrong with that entire clan!" A civilian woman at the marketplace whispered to her friend in distaste as a group of Uchiha MPs walked past them—apparently on their patrol. From the expressions on their faces, they could hear every word. "And the way that they treat their children. Disgusting! First Yuri-chan. Then Itachi-kun. Now little Sasuke-chan."

"You're telling me." Her friend agreed. "What is  _wrong_  with that clan?"

The Uchiha MPs gritted their teeth, trying to control their tempers, all of them vaguely aware of the hidden squad of ANBUs amongst the rooftop, surveying their every move. One wrong step, and they know that that'll be it for them.

How dare the village accuse them?

They didn't do anything that those  _freaks_  didn't deserve!

They just have to be patient and wait, that is all. The Uchiha clan will soon reign supreme at the top of the village's food chain soon enough.

Unseen by everyone, the pearly transparent form of Uchiha Kagami watched the forms of his clansmen sadly beside the fruit stand before disappearing. He had a 'spirit speaker' to find and report to.

**XXXXXX**

Uchiha Yuri listened to what Uchiha Kagami had to tell her as the spirit appeared in her room—after Yuri had removed the warding seals that repels everything spiritual from entering her room and house like what Yuki had taught her how to create all those years ago.

Yuri really wished that she could say that she is surprised at what the Uchiha clan is planning. She really did. But somehow, she  _isn't_  surprised at all, knowing what she did about the clan.

"A…coup." Yuri said slowly as if making sure that she's hearing right. "A coup d'état to overthrow the entire village and the administration to make  _them_  the supreme power in the village. Am I to understand that I'm understanding and hearing everything correctly, and that this isn't some very bad joke?"

Sekki chirped angrily from the bird perch in a corner, with Hedwig letting out a loud screech.

Uchiha Kagami shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he said solemnly. "I'm dead now, and I can't do anything or influence anything. In this entire village,  _you_  and  _Itachi-kun_  are the only ones who can see me, apart from the Yamanaka clan. But  _they_  are bound by their own clan laws to not interfere in the affairs of the dead unless they are exorcists like the former clan head, Yamanaka Reina. You're the only one I can ask. Stop them before they make a big mistake that they can't fix."

Yuri sighed to herself. This has so many ways in which it can go wrong!

A coup or a civil war at this point will just do nothing but send the entire world straight into another ninja war! And at this point of time, the world just isn't ready for another war!

"…Kagami-jii, you're going to tell me  _everything_  that you know, and don't leave anything out." Yuri said at last, looking at the Uchiha ghost in front of her grimly. "What is going on?"


	13. Plotting

When Uchiha Yuri and Uchiha Itachi have walked into Sarutobi Hiruzen's office the next morning before he'd done anything more than sit down, with both pre-teens requesting for an urgent closed door meeting with a grim look on both their faces, the Third Hokage had a bad feeling about it.

Whenever those two or one of those amongst their clique of friends requested for a meeting with him, it  _always_  bodes bad news!

After half-an-hour of listening to Uchiha Yuri telling him what she knew from one of the 'beings from the other world', Sarutobi Hiruzen groaned, and wondered which deity that he'd offended to have this many problems piling atop his plate in just a few short years!

"A coup." Sarutobi finally managed to find his tongue, looking at Yuri who looked exhausted. The girl had probably stayed up all night grilling Uchiha Kagami on everything that he knew and more. The Hokage won't be surprised if she had gone around the village speaking to every spirit that she saw to gather all the information that she could. "A plan by the Uchiha clan to overthrow the village."

Itachi and Yuri gulped nervously even as they exchanged looks. They are really reminded of why Sarutobi is the longest reigning Hokage in Konoha, and why the Second Hokage had named him the successor at the tender age of thirteen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen might be old now, but to underestimate him is a mistake that most wouldn't make twice. He might no longer be in his prime, and his battle skill is probably not as sharp as what he had once been capable of, but his mind is still sharp.

"I really do not wish to believe that my…former clan is capable of doing something like this." Itachi admitted, looking at Yuri. She had gone to his and Shisui's apartment last night and had told him everything that she'd found out. He had then tagged along with Yuri when she had gone to seek out the Hokage for an emergency meeting at the time when she knew the Hokage would have just entered his office. "But they  _are_  capable of doing something like this, especially with how their standing and reputation within the village had been slipping in recent years. Honestly, I'm surprised that they haven't chosen to abandon Konoha yet."

"If they do, they'll be treated as traitors and executed." Sarutobi retorted sharply. "Though it really explains a lot of things—particularly the behaviour of the Military Police in recent months."

Sarutobi had quite a mountain of complaints from his ninjas about the rough handling of the Military Police with the civilians, and how more than one of them has to step in to prevent the Military Police from beating the civilians up black and blue. Even the regular ANBU teams usually on guard duty around the village had reported how the Uchiha have been really aggressive lately.

Sarutobi made a noise in his throat before he looked at Yuri. This isn't the first time that he had heard of Yuri 'speaking' with those of the other world—from what he knew from Kakashi. In fact, she had been doing that quite frequently since she had learned how to control her ability from that lady merchant a few years ago.

"Yuri, how much of this information do you think we can trust?" Sarutobi asked.

Yuri frowned. "All of it," she answered honestly, and the Hokage looked surprised. "Spirits…" Yuri hesitated, wondering if she should explain. One of the core rules that Yamanaka Reina had taught her when she was still alive is that those that acts as the 'bridge' has certain things that they can never divulge to those of the living. "Spirits you see, don't lie. Or I should say that they  _cannot_  lie the way they could when they were humans." Yuri explained, finally deciding to scatter everything to the wind. If she isn't completely honest with the Hokage, he might not even take her seriously. "I think they're telling the truth. And if they are, it really explains a lot of actions undertaken by the Uchiha lately."

Itachi nodded. "It's like they don't even care what they do now," he backed Yuri up.

The Hokage sighed. It is a long time coming, he knew. But it doesn't make it any easier to order it. Kakashi had even warned him about it a long time ago—that if the Uchiha carries on the way they are, it is only going to be a matter of time before they destroy themselves from the inside out.

"All right." Sarutobi sighed heavily. "It kills me that I have to order this. But we have no other choice." He looked at Yuri and Itachi sharply, and the two snapped to attention immediately, recognising that look and that tone of voice as the 'Hokage voice'. "I will inform Shikaku about this myself, so you don't have to inform him. But I'm calling in HOMRA for this."

Yuri and Itachi exchanged quick and alarmed glances between themselves before turning their attention back towards the Hokage.

HOMRA.

It is an elite and secret squadron that had just came into existence just a few short years ago—right after they and their clique of friends have reached chuunin status. It had actually been councilman Homura's idea, as the old man is getting sick and tired of seeing the Uchiha strut around like they owned the village, and even the countless crimes, small as they are, practically taking place out in the open because the Uchiha had some sort of grudge against the village.

HOMRA is basically made up of a selective number of ninjas that the Hokage, Mitokado Homura and Nara Shikaku have carefully handpicked for both their potential and their skill. And they don't just look for their ninja skills in combat alone. The squadron is currently headed by the current Jounin Commander, Nara Shikaku, and the members all report directly to the Hokage.

In laymen's terms, they are basically the Hokage's private soldiers—there to handle and take out the in-village threats from the shadows that can't be taken of out in the open and legally. Basically, they're like a lesser version of Root—only that they only operate on a set number of missions that calls for their specialised skills.

The village knows about HOMRA's existence, as the Hokage had slyly allowed rumours of it to slip out into the village to make those that threatened Konoha's safety to get nervous. But that is as far as it goes, as no one knows just who the members are—only that the members are around in the village, and they're always watching.

Surprisingly, Danzo had actually approved of Sarutobi's hard-handed methods, and had actually offered to loan them one of his Root trainers for further training, but the Hokage and Homura have declined.

Privately however, Yuri isn't surprised that Danzo had approved of this. She might not really like the man, especially with the stories that she'd heard about Danzo from Kakashi. But there is no denying that Danzo had always placed Konoha's safety and security as his number one priority, no matter what he has to do. He is the one that always gets his hands dirty for the village, working from the shadows; whereas Sarutobi is the one working in the light.

Konoha is still a ninja village in the end. They don't always do things the legal way and don't always keep their hands clean. It is just that they are much better than the other ninja villages at keeping their reputation squeaky clean so as to not scare off clients (courtesy of Danzo), and they are also much better at portraying Konoha as the 'good and kind' village.

Any Konoha ninja that has reached jounin status and had taken on the missions that requires them to kill those that threatens their village—even if they technically haven't done  _anything_  at all knows that.

Itachi frowned before he stepped forward. "What do you need from us?" The former Uchiha heir asked solemnly.

Did I fail to mention that Yuri and Itachi are part of HOMRA too, handpicked personally by the Hokage, Homura and Shikaku? Shisui, Hinami and Ren as well as Hana are too. Yuri knew for one however that there are others in HOMRA—she just doesn't know who they are, as it is her old genin teammates as well as Itachi and his old team that she worked with frequently.

The Hokage studied Yuri and Itachi intently. "…If I leave this to you, will you be able to handle it without me needing to sign anything apart from the standard?" he questioned.

"Yes." Itachi and Yuri answered immediately, knowing what the Hokage is driving at without speaking the exact words out loud. Basically 'I want you to take out the Uchiha clan without needing to call in any of the ANBU teams'.

"This might tear the Uchiha clan's reputation beyond repair though." The Hokage warned. "Will you both be okay with it?"

"We weren't even considered Uchiha any longer, Hokage-sama." Yuri admitted sadly. "I was no longer one since I was four years old. Itachi, Shisui and Sasuke weren't considered one either since the day that they've left the compound. We won't let our personal feelings interfere with this, don't worry."

The Hokage nodded. "I'll issue this as an official mission," he told them. "How much time do you need for preparations?"

"At least a month." Itachi answered. "I just…ask for you to spare the children at least, Hokage-sama. The ones that are innocent in this whole mess. We will of course conduct our own investigation to determine who is guilty and who is not. I just ask that you leave the innocents out of this. Some of them might not even have much of a choice  _but_  participate in this stupid plan."

The Hokage nodded, not feeling all that comfortable with basically ordering a bunch of teens and pre-teens to assassinate an entire clan. But he knew that if it is anyone who could pull it off without it escalating into a full-scale civil war, it would be them.

Genma and later on, Shikaku have both trained them all well.

"…Very well. May the gods be with you. And good luck."

**XXXXXX**

As Shisui and Hana were both out with their own individual teams for some mission out of the village, with Hinami on duty at the hospital and with Ren being the  _only one_  available in the village, both Itachi and Yuri have to wait until nightfall before their teammates were available and in the village.

In the meantime however, Yuri and Itachi weren't exactly idle.

Right after leaving the Hokage's office—and here, both pre-teens were almost surprised to find that they've been cooped up together with the Hokage for nearly three hours—they have taken a trip to the Records Room where Konoha stores all the files on their ninjas and even the blueprints of the village, the underground passageways and even blueprints and maps on the clan compounds of the village.

Naturally, the more restricted files have restricted access that requires the Hokage's signature to access it. And while the chuunin on duty at the Records Room that day had looked at them strangely for requesting access to the highest level where the blueprints and maps of the village as well as the clan compounds are stored, he had said nothing but just directed them to the correct room before locking them inside for safety and security reasons.

Yuri hasn't stepped into the Uchiha clan compound since she was four, if one doesn't exclude the time when she had gone with Itachi to retrieve his little brother. Thus, Itachi and Yuri have decided to split the work between themselves by having Itachi survey the Uchiha clan compound's maps and blueprints and having Yuri survey the map and blueprints of the village to determine the route they take for their mission.

Even still, Itachi could tell that the maps of the Uchiha compound are missing quite a few secret passageways that he knew of, and he had secretly added it in just so that the village will have a more updated copy of the blueprints and maps of the Uchiha clan compound.

It was late afternoon by the time they have left the Records Room with copies of what they need sealed away in sealing scrolls. After a quick lunch, Itachi and Yuri have then taken to secretly scouting the areas around the Uchiha clan compound to determine the best hiding areas and how they could actually sneak in.

As Yuri couldn't use her wolf summons—that Kakashi had finally relented to have her sign and go through the boss summons' test when she had became jounin—as it isn't common to see wolves in the village, Itachi had used his own raven summons instead. The former Uchiha heir had picked up the contract off a target about a year ago when his ANBU team was assigned to take out a known traitor to the Fire Court of the Daimyo.

Needless to say that Itachi and his ANBU team have gotten a nice bonus in their bank accounts for adding another summoning contract to the village, and Itachi had taken the contract when offered. He doesn't often use it however, as the Raven Contract are mainly used for scouting and spying purposes, as what the boss raven had told Itachi the first time he had tried summoning.

Yuri had sent Hedwig and Sekki to assist Itachi's raven summons to scout out the Uchiha compound. And between both of them as well as their own feathered companions, they've gotten a good enough idea of the layout of the Uchiha compound by the time that Shisui and Hana have reported in from their missions.

"I never thought that I will have to do this one day when I first signed up at the Ninja Academy." Itachi admitted to Yuri later that night as they waited at the riverbank for their friends—their regular meeting spot for hardly anyone ever comes by here. It actually helps that tonight is a festival night too, thus, hardly anyone will be coming across them.

"You and me both." Yuri murmured. "I don't like them. But I didn't think that they'll sink this low."

"Yo! Itachi! Yuri!"

"Sorry for the wait!"

Itachi and Yuri looked up as the sound of their friends' voices reached their ears. And there they are—Ren and Hinami as well as Shisui and Hana as well as Hana's three ninken.

"So what's up?" Hinami was the first one to ask as they reached them. "It isn't like you both to call us all out of the blue like this. Is something wrong?" She asked, concerned, as both Yuri and Itachi looked strained and concerned.

"Well…" Itachi exchanged looks with Yuri. "Privacy seal." Yuri nodded before forming a half-ram seal, and the seals that she'd already placed around their area activated. "There's something that we need to tell all of you."

* * *

Needless to say that Hana, Ren and Hinami were all shocked speechless for several moments at the news that Itachi and Yuri have delivered to them, the evidence that were laid out in front of them as well as the orders from the Hokage.

Shisui on the other hand had quite a lot to say.

"Have they gone insane?" Shisui demanded after Itachi had finished explaining their orders from the Hokage. "Did they seriously think that a coup would honestly succeed if they are waging war  _against the entire village?_  Konoha didn't get to be the greatest of the Big Five for no reason at all!"

"Tell me about it." Yuri scoffed, seated on the grass with the rest of her friends, her back against the tree, and patting one of Hana's ninken who is resting his head on her lap, content enough to just allow Yuri lavish attention on him. It had always amused their friends that Yuri seems to be some sort of animal magnet. Even their daimyo's wife's cat, Tora the Hell Cat seems to adore Yuri. These days, whenever Tora runs away, the daimyo normally sent a message to the Hokage first to enquire if Tora is visiting Yuri before sending in another mission request to retrieve his wife's cat. "I'm starting to think that their Sharingan is making them stupid. Either that, or there is something in the water they drink."

"Lucky for us that you've found it out early." Ren murmured, looking at Hinami who looked grim. "Fail or succeed, once they made an attempt at a coup, we'll just fall straight into another ninja war, as the rest of the villages would seize the opportunity to invade us."

"I don't even want to imagine the implications of such a thing." Hinami muttered, pale. And so soon after the last war too. The ninja villages will be lucky to even still be standing after that.

"Hence the Hokage's orders." Yuri told them, bringing the matter back at hand. She bit on her lip. "I don't like it, but I understand why. Besides, I'm starting to think that the Uchiha clan had lost whatever sense and honour they had in between the Second and Third Ninja Wars."

"Our orders?" Ren gave a long resigning sigh. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time that they would be taking on tasteless tasks like this as part of HOMRA, and it likely wouldn't be the last either.

"Take out those that are involved or planning the coup, but leave the innocents be. And do it all without the Hokage needing to sign anything apart from marking the mission as official." Itachi answered.

"Right. Basically, no ANBU assistance then." Hana mused. "This is going to be problematic."

Yuri scoffed. "Tell me about it," she grumbled. "We have a month to pull everything off. Any longer, and they might just launch their coup without warning. And  _then,_  we'll be in some deep shit."

"What in the world are they thinking?" Ren frowned.

"I doubt they're even  _thinking_  at all, if you ask me." Hinami scowled.

"Hmm?" Hana looked towards the waters of the river next to them just then. Night had long fallen, with the only lights visible being the stars in the sky and the fireflies flying around. "Are those wooden rafts?"

As one, every head turned towards the river only to see numerous wooden rafts with lanterns on it flowing down the river. The sharp eyed ones amongst them—Yuri, Itachi and Shisui could see paper tags with words written on it attached to the lanterns.

"Oh. It's the Six Scripted Lantern Festival today." Ren realised, smacking a fist into his hand. "I've almost forgotten about it."

"A festival for wishes or for things to be forgotten." Yuri mused, exchanging looks with her friends.

Obito had taken her to one before he'd passed away, Yuri remembered. His entire team as well as Kushina had come with them. Minato had even explained to his team and Yuri about the Six Scripted Lantern Festival.

Originally, it had been an ancient festival in Fire Country dating back to even way before the clan wars. It had originally been a festival where shrine priests would write the sins of criminals who came for expiation and ferry that with a strand of the person's hair down the river, as it is commonly believed that all rivers led to the afterlife. These days however, the Six Scripted Lantern Festival is used as a means for wishes or for things to be forgotten.

In Konoha, most of the people—mainly civilians, used the festival as a means to either forget or hope that their wishes get to their loved ones that have perished during the Kyuubi attack or even during the war.

"Does it really come true however, Yuri?" Hinami asked her best friend, since she's the 'spirit expert' amongst them. "Will it really reach the afterlife?"

"Who knows?" Yuri murmured mysteriously. "We got a month. Might as well get ready for it."

**XXXXXX**

The night of the Six Scripted Lantern Festival is probably the one festival day when no Uchiha will ever attend for certain reasons. Thus, it isn't too surprising to find most of the Uchiha families currently cooped up in their own homes in the clan compound.

"What should we do, dear?" Uchiha Mikoto asked her husband with concern, handing her husband a cup of tea that he took with a slight nod. "Things in the village are really not in our favour right now. If this goes on, we might not have a choice."

Fugaku sighed. If truth be told, he knew that it is wrong. To allow his clan to hit Yuri around the way they did when she was little. He isn't surprised that Obito finally had enough and had up and left the clan. Even as little talent as the boy had, he is fiercely protective and surprisingly skilled when it comes to protection of his only sister. And the Uchiha clan head knew that it is wrong to treat both his sons the way they did.

The civilians and even the Hyuuga clan in the village might think they had it tough. But they never had to stand in his shoes. They never had to face the ultimatum from the Uchiha clan elders—his family or the village. He might be the clan head, but in truth, he is only a simple figurehead. The true power lies with the elders. It had been that way for decades ever since Uchiha Madara had defected and betrayed the village.

The Uchiha clan at that time, fearing that another Uchiha might pull a Madara, had created several new clan laws to restrict the clan head's power. By the time that Fugaku had became the clan head, the person holding the position as the Uchiha clan head is a mere figurehead at best.

There are times when Fugaku had almost envied his sons and even his nephew and even his distant cousin's daughter. They are free. They have freedom. They don't have to agonise over their every decision and move like he has to. They are no longer official Uchihas, thus, they do not have to face the resentment from the rest of the village, though Fugaku admits that the clan has a large part of the responsibility for the village detesting them the way they did.

When was it, Fugaku wonders. What was it when he had started caring more about clan pride than family? Was Itachi right when he said that it is useless clan pride?

"Dear?" Mikoto murmured, looking at him with concern.

Fugaku was about to open his mouth to answer before he snapped it shut again. He sighed even as he felt more than heard a presence drop down behind him and his wife, and he didn't bother turning around.

"…I was right then." Fugaku said at last, placing down his cup of tea. "And to think that you picked tonight of all nights. So you survived after all…  _Obito."_


	14. Heaven is Watching

Yuri didn't come home again last night.

That was the only thought in Hatake Kakashi's head even as he looked around the small apartment that he shared with his sister even as he left, locking the door behind him as he did so, a small frown unseen beneath the mask on his face.

While Yuri had never really been a noisy or hyperactive child—she is normally so quiet that you wouldn't realise that she's there unless she speaks up—she is also the type that you find you normally miss when she  _isn't_  there.

And Kakashi is solely missing her right now.

She's…nearly thirteen now, right? Good lord, has it really been nearly six years since he'd first taken her in, and just as long since Obito had passed away during that disastrous mission because of his stupidity?

Kakashi winced even as he rubbed at his Sharingan eye beneath the hitai-ate even as it let out twinges of pain as it always did whenever his thoughts went towards Obito and how he had died.

…Honestly, he might have first taken Yuri in due to Obito's final request, and because the then thirteen-year-old Kakashi had felt that he owed it to Yuri as much to raise her in her dead brother's place. But in the beginning, Kakashi could barely bring himself to look at Yuri in the face, especially knowing that  _he_  had been the cause of her brother's death.

It took both Rin  _and_  Kushina to kick his ass into gear when they found out that he had been…uh… _neglecting_  Yuri at that time to drown in his self-pity.

Kakashi had found himself regretting a whole lot of things that he'd said and done to his deceased teammate after taking over the job of raising Yuri. He found it difficult enough to raise the child on his salary as a rookie jounin at that time, and he had child support benefits due to Obito having died for Konoha's sake during the war. How much harder had it been for Obito who had only been a chuunin, and thus, could barely take on missions higher than a B-rank?

It might have been a form of duty and even penance for Kakashi at that time—raising Yuri in Obito's place. But over time, Kakashi had grown some familial feelings for the small child, and had loved having a family member around again—someone to worry over and for someone to worry over him.

Yuri had also risen through the ninja ranks quickly—nearly smashing Kakashi's record for quickest promotion ever along with her teammates and best friends—and Kakashi had only gotten promoted  _that_  quickly because it was wartime.

Now Yuri is a jounin—easily one of Konoha's best. And the only reason why she isn't ANBU is because she had steadfastly  _refused_ —much to Kakashi's secret relief who had first hand experience just what being an ANBU is like—Konoha's best weapons and assassins—the ninjas who took on the dirtiest and cruellest jobs all in the name of Konoha.

It is almost a wonder that thirteen-year-old Uchiha Itachi hasn't been driven insane yet; what with being named ANBU Captain after Kakashi had left the ANBU, having had enough. Most likely, his close and tight friendship with Yuri and Ren and Hinami and even Shisui and Hana had kept him sane.

Even still, Kakashi had worried for the young teen, especially the number of times when he had ran into the boy, and Itachi had always looked really stressed. Most likely, his 'war' with the Uchiha clan and then taking on full custody of his brother  _and_ keeping him safe isn't helping any matters. And from what the Copy Cat knew, Uchiha Sasuke had came with a whole slew of mental problems—not surprising, considering what he has been through under his parents' hands after Itachi had walked out of the clan.

Kakashi wonders at times where is the common sense in naming a thirteen-year-old child an ANBU Captain, prodigy or not.

He had first hand experience of the fast track program after all. For all his love for his home village, Kakashi knew Konoha also has a bad habit of pushing their 'geniuses' too fast and too harsh, and thus, will more often than not, cause them to break.

Thus, after the village's economy and manpower has stabilised just a few years ago after the war recovery period had ended, Mitokado Homura, one of the few elders in the village who seemed to have some common sense and brains had immediately placed an age limit on the graduation age in the Academy—regardless of how talented they are, with full backing and support from the Hokage as well as Nara Shikaku.

And while Yuri had never said anything, Kakashi knew that Yuri most likely had been a member of HOMRA—the not-so-secret personal ninja squad that answers only to the Jounin Commander as well as the Hokage himself.

The sudden fascination that Yuri seemed to have in wearing bandages around her left forearm is also a blatant clue—most likely, that had been where she had HOMRA's insignia marked. The same way that all ANBU members had an ANBU tattoo somewhere on their bodies—even after their retirement.

Kakashi frowned even as he walked down the streets of Konoha.

It is still early; and thus, the first vendors of the marketplace are most probably just setting up their shops. The silver-haired jounin wonders for a moment if he should spend some time at the memorial stone first before heading to the Missions' Office to get a mission.

There was a loud piercing scream just then that tore through the sleepy marketplace. Kakashi froze for a moment, his hand on his weapons pouch by sheer instinct, along with every single ninja in the vicinity.

He then took off towards the direction of the scream—towards the heart of the market area of Konoha.

Kakashi's sole visible eye then widened with shock and horror at the sight that greeted his eyes.

**XXXXXX**

Uchiha Yuri barely stifled a yawn and restrained herself from just half sprawling over one of the tables in the currently closed Chameleon Moon like how Shisui is doing—ignoring all lessons of etiquette and conduct. Itachi isn't looking any better either, looking nearly half asleep. Ren is already asleep at the table whilst Hinami looked moments away from joining him. Hana is blinking sleepy eyes out of the window, resting her chin on an upturned hand.

Andromeda laughed even as she placed hot mugs of coffee in front of each of them—something that woke Ren up immediately. "You all looked exhausted." She smiled, even as Yuri nodded to her with thanks, sipping from the mug slowly. "Have some freshly brewed coffee to wake yourselves up. It's on the house."

Andromeda knew that something is going to happen when the six of them have spent a long time after their dinner the previous night discussing who-knows-what at their usual table, with silencing seals placed around their seats to prevent eavesdroppers. When it had gotten late, Andromeda had then made the six of them stay the night.

"I'll be glad when this is over." Uchiha Shisui groaned into his arms, looking really pale and exhausted. "Damn those… _idiots!_  Who on earth will go and think up a plan like that to begin with?"

Andromeda was mildly disappointed that Shisui didn't slip any names or mentions, but she wasn't that surprised either. Close family friend or not, Andromeda is still a civilian. Maybe one with the Hokage's ear due to her status as Noriko's guardian, but she is still a civilian nonetheless. Even Yuri and the others would be careful not to slip anything of importance to her.

"Good morning, Grandmother! Yuri-nee!" Nine-year-old Teddy bounced down the stairs from the upstairs apartment, with the much quieter Noriko following close behind him, as well as Uchiha Sasuke who had stayed the night when his elder brother and cousin did.

Teddy and Noriko have gotten really close over the span of five years since Andromeda had first taken Noriko in, and were siblings in all but blood. And while Sasuke isn't as close to either one due to Itachi still helping him to get over the trauma of what had transpired to him in the Uchiha clan, the small boy had struck up a tentative type of friendship with the two.

Teddy is also quite protective over Noriko, like what Andromeda had told Yuri when she was called down to the Ninja Academy one time over a case of Teddy fighting in school due to some civilian kid calling Noriko some slur because of her hair.

"Good morning, Teddy, Noriko." Andromeda ruffled the hair of the two children and gave Sasuke a smile, knowing better than to touch the boy especially when he's still reeling away from the touches of anyone that isn't Itachi and Yuri. "Good morning, Sasuke-chan. Don't forget your bentos before you head off to the Academy."

"Hai!"

"Yuri-nee, are you all right?" Noriko asked her pseudo sister worriedly, peering into Yuri's face and finding that the raven head seems rather pale due to the lack of sleep for several days now. "You look rather pale. Everyone too." She added, glancing at the table where half the occupants seemed almost half asleep. Itachi was almost slumping against Yuri, his head resting against her shoulder. And surprisingly, for someone who is extremely private, Yuri-nee doesn't seem to mind the close contact.

"We're fine, Noriko-chan." Hinami smiled before she got to her feet with a groan. "I guess we should go. I got to report to the hospital for my morning shift in an hour. Ren, you're due at the Cipher Division, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I just want to call in sick for the day." Ren groaned, thinking of the long day ahead of him decoding whatever secret codes that the Cipher Division had. Thank the heavens that he isn't a permanent member of the Cipher Division—they just borrowed him whenever they could, as he's easily the one who could crack codes the fastest in the entire village.

"Come on, guys, let's go." Yuri sighed, getting to her feet. "I think we've overstayed our welcome."

"Nonsense. You're welcome here anytime." Andromeda smiled. "Sasuke-chan too. I don't mind watching him when you two boys are busy." She added, looking at Itachi and Shisui who both looked very sheepish.

Yuri only shrugged and looked down at Sasuke, Teddy and Noriko. "Want me to walk you three to the Academy? I got some time before I have to see Shikaku-sama."

"With my uncle?" Ren quirked a brow even as one by one, they all slowly got to their feet. "What for?" Yuri only looked at Ren, and he understood that look immediately. "Oh."

Basically, HOMRA business aka their Uchiha mission.

"Let's go." Itachi sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I have to join in the meeting as well for certain reasons. But I have the day off today, as did Yuri. So we can have a picnic or something if you wish to after your lessons today, Sasuke." Itachi smiled a rare smile at his little brother—something that he only reserved for Yuri and Sasuke.

A small smile appeared on Sasuke's face, and Itachi counted it as a success. The first few days when he'd first brought Sasuke home after gaining custody, Sasuke was even afraid to let  _Itachi_  close when he had idolised and adored Itachi so before. The little boy is gradually getting used to having close contact with people, but it is still slow going.

Itachi had actually kept Sasuke home for a few months upon gaining custody to let him heal before letting him return to the Academy, though he had joined Noriko and Teddy's class, as he knew them. It is a type of agreement that Itachi had struck up with the Hokage that Sasuke would join Teddy and Noriko's class for his lessons. However, he will only graduate when he is twelve, no sooner, as is the law.

Noriko is an exception to that rule, and everyone in the know knew that, especially considering her 'secret' status.

"It'll…be nice…" Sasuke whispered. The small boy had barely spoken in a voice louder than a whisper since his brother had taken him home.

Itachi looked at Shisui and Yuri with despair, and they both shrugged. The former Uchiha heir made a mental note to speak to Hana or even Inuzuka Tsume about the benefits of getting a dog for his little brother, and if it will help him.

It is an idea that Kakashi had suggested when the older jounin had walked in on the two discussing Sasuke in depth at the apartment that Kakashi had shared with Yuri awhile back. Kakashi had found the Dog Contract not too long after his father's suicide as a child and had signed it. And his bond with his summons had really helped with his mental state at that time.

And the entire village knew that the Inuzuka Clan had often trained dogs for therapy purposes. Half of the clan's income had came from breeding dogs and training them to be therapy animals for the ninjas of the village that still suffered from depression, PTSD and other mental health issues after all.

Hana looked at Sasuke sadly. The small boy is her little brother's age. And yet, the two are as different as night and day. Maybe once Noriko and Teddy graduate, and Sasuke is put back into the class for his own age group, she could get Kiba to befriend Sasuke.

For all his brash attitude and hot-headedness, Hana knew that her little brother would be good as a friend to Sasuke.

"Come on, we should go." Hana said at last, exchanging looks with Shisui who sighed and got to his feet at a look from his female teammate. "The kids will be late getting to the Academy otherwise."

"We're leaving, Andy!"

"See you later, Grandmother!"

"We're leaving."

"…Thank you for everything."

Andromeda only smiled and bid them farewell as they left, with the bell tinkling somewhere within the establishment as they left; the three children walking somewhere in front, with Teddy chattering nineteen to the dozen, and with Sasuke and Noriko listening intently.

Hana slowed down her steps so that she fell in step with Itachi and Yuri, her three ninken at her heels. "Hey, are you sure that your brother is fine and that you're okay?" she asked in a low voice so that the three children can't hear them. At this question, the rest of their friends turned their attention towards Hana and Itachi. "I can literally  _smell_  the trauma on him and the stress on  _you."_

Itachi tensed before he let his shoulders slump. "…No, I'm not okay." Itachi finally admitted. "I  _was_  going to talk to you or your mother about it sometime today—about the pros and cons of possibly getting a therapy dog for Sasuke. Inoichi-san had recommended it to me as well after Sasuke's last therapy session, and how he seemed to be very taken with Yuri's wolf summons as well as Sekki and Hedwig and even my raven summons."

Hana sighed. "You should have come straight to me earlier, instead of waiting for nearly six months," she reprimanded the younger boy. "…I got some time in the afternoon after two. Come by the Inuzuka Clan compound. I'll take you to see my mother about potentially getting one of our therapy dogs. We're currently training a few for PTSD and anxiety. They might work for your brother."

Itachi nodded gratefully. "Thanks—"

A loud piercing scream resounded through the air just then; and as one, all six of them froze, one hand on their weapons pouches on instinct. In front of them, the three children have nearly jumped in the air, and Sasuke had clutched onto Noriko's sleeve, a look of terror on his face.

Shisui narrowed his eyes. "What was that?"

Yuri frowned. "…It came from the heart of the marketplace," she said slowly.

Hana looked from face to face. "Let's go!"

* * *

A crowd has already gathered at the heart of the marketplace when Yuri and the others have arrived—most of them civilians, but there are a number of ninjas amongst them—most likely the ninjas on morning patrol duty.

Every single one of them had the same horror struck expressions on their faces, staring in the same direction.

Yuri's eyes widened upon seeing the sight before her; and before the three children with them could even lay eyes on whatever has the entire marketplace so horrified, Yuri immediately covered Noriko's eyes with her left hand—not allowing her to take a peek. Itachi did the same for Sasuke, even turning his little brother around to bury his face into the folds of Itachi's clothes; whereas Shisui did the same for Teddy.

None of them wanted the three children to see the sight before them and force them to grow up before their time—just like how they did when they saw the sights of the Third Great Ninja War.

"Y-Yuri-nee?!"

"…N-Nii-san…?"

"Shisui-san? What are you doing? Why are you covering my eyes?"

"Don't look!" Yuri commanded. And at the harshness and ferocity of her voice, it silenced the protests of all three children immediately, and they even ceased their struggles to get their eyes freed. Yuri was silent for several moments, staring up at the horrific sight above her.

Numerous bodies—all of them belonging to the Uchiha clan as is evident by the Uchiha clan symbol on their clothes being strung on wires above their heads—like they're marionettes in a puppet show; blood slowly dripping down from their broken and strung bodies and dripping to the ground below them.

"…Don't look…" Yuri said again. She could barely find her voice, and was almost startled to find herself shaking. "…You shouldn't see this…"

"Oh…my god…" Hinami felt bile rising up in her throat, and she resisted the urge to throw up. If she hadn't seen bodies in worst states than this in the mortuary, she likely would have.

"…Looks like someone has done our job for us." Ren sounded oddly spooked and could hardly recognise his own voice. "Damn it…"

Yuri could barely take her eyes away from the sight in front of her—especially the sight of the Uchiha clan head and his wife—both of them with glassy eyes. But their bodies are in a worse state as compared to the rest of the clan. There is even a sword each driven straight through their hearts, unlike the rest of the Uchiha clan members.

A slight presence made his presence known behind Yuri just then. She tensed slightly before turning her head slightly only to catch a glimpse of white and brown. "…Yata-kun…?"

"You're needed at HOMRA headquarters by Shikaku-sama before you go to the Hokage." Misaki Yata murmured from behind them in a voice low enough that only they could hear. "It is a first class emergency. All of HOMRA has been called."

"…Understood." Itachi murmured.

All of them never looked away from the sight above their heads even throughout the encounter.

A single long black banner was strung above the bodies with only one single phrase written across it in white paint:

「天有眼」  
" _Heaven is watching"_


	15. A Parent's Love

Yuri would never admit it to anyone; even under pain of death or torture—but she was really nervous when they have arrived at HOMRA's  _not-so-secret_  headquarters and had seen the entire office packed, along with a very grim-looking Nara Shikaku seated behind his desk, receiving a report from HOMRA's second-in-command—Kusanagi Izumo.

Yuri recognised about half of the faces in the room as fellow jounins or chuunins. She then realised that she must be looking at what must comprise of the entirety of HOMRA. She knew from her meetings and interactions with Yata-kun and Izumo-san when she was first recruited by Shikaku that no HOMRA member would ever know the identities of every single person in HOMRA. The only person who is entitled to that knowledge is Shikaku and perhaps Izumo-san.

The fact that all of them are here…

"All right. Everyone's here." Shikaku looked up and got up from behind his desk when he noticed Yuri, Itachi, Hinami, Ren, Shisui and Hana's arrivals along with Yata.

Itachi frowned, feeling a little self-conscious for a moment due to the number of eyes trained on their group. "Is this about what…we've  _discovered_  earlier in the marketplace, sir?" he questioned quietly.

Shikaku hesitated before nodding. "I need to hear it from you before I send you off to the Hokage," he said at last.

HOMRA's existence might be that of an elite ninja squad reporting directly to Shikaku and the Hokage; but in the end, they also tend to take on jobs that couldn't be done legally—much like the  _officially disbanded Root_  before them. About half of the jobs that they take on, the Hokage had turned a blind eye to it, trusting his Jounin Commander to do what he believes is right in order to safeguard the village and their citizens.

Hinami raised both hands placating, shifting eyes around the room before focusing on Shikaku and Izumo—both who were studying the lot of them. "It's not us," she insisted. "It wasn't until the day before last when you just briefed us on our…'mission' and what you want us to do. Even Yuri and Itachi will need at least a month before we can carry out our orders."

"And even if it  _is_  us, we wouldn't string the bodies up in the middle of the marketplace like that." Ren was frowning at his uncle and adoptive father. "We still have morals. We wouldn't traumatise the entire village like that. HOMRA is supposed to work from the shadows—our existence known to the village and the world as a type of deterrent or not."

Shikaku relaxed, though he did shift guiltily at the rather hurt expression on Ren's face. "I never did think that it was you lot, but I need to make sure," he said, relaxing.

"Though the problem now lies here," Yata spoke up from next to his position beside Tatara. The teenager had a frown on his face, balancing his skateboard next to him. He is studying Yuri and her friends carefully before turning towards Shikaku. "What are we going to tell the village  _and_  the Hokage?"

There was a tense silence. "We need to come up with a story to tell the village.  _And_  the world at large. Not to mention the daimyo." Yuri said at last, pinching her nose to ease her headache. "And obviously, the fact that the Uchiha clan is plotting a takeover and that  _we_  are plotting their massacre to begin with  _cannot_  be made public!"

"Not like the village will cry a tear over them." Suoh Mikoto grunted, lighting a cigarette. A cough and pointed look from Shikaku caused Mikoto to sigh before putting the cigarette out by crushing it in his bare hands, thus causing several of the ninjas currently in the room to cringe.

"I'll worry about the cover up and the story that we're going to run with to the public in general." Shikaku said at last. "Awashima and Fushimi, I'm going to need you to work with me on this."

"Yes sir." The two mentioned echoed as one. Generally, they're the ones taking care of the clean up and public relations work for HOMRA, and are the best at their jobs.

"We need to get a general understanding of the entire situation." Shikaku muttered. "Tatara and Mikoto. You're both on investigation duty. If there are any survivors, get me a list. Make a list of the dead as well."

"Yes sir."

"And…" Shikaku hesitated. Finally, he looked at Yuri. "Yuri, will you be able to call upon the Uchiha clan?"

Yuri stared blankly at Shikaku for several moments, unsure if she'd just heard correctly.

"…Excuse me?"

Yuri isn't the only one looking at Shikaku like he'd taken a little too many hits to the head. The entire room was looking at their commander like he'd lost his marbles. Itachi, Ren, Hinami, Shisui and Hana were however looking at Shikaku like they wanted to kill him.

They knew better than anyone (save for perhaps Kakashi) that Yuri's ability to speak with and see the dead is something that she never lets anyone outside of her closest confidantes know about. And even with them, it had taken a few good years of knowing Yuri before she'd finally told them what she could do.

Apart from Shikaku, no one else in HOMRA knows what Yuri could do, and now, Shikaku is trying to oust Yuri and what she could do to everyone?

Itachi is starting to wonder if all the booze that Shikaku drinks had affected his mind.

"Sir—" Izumo looked nervous, protesting weakly before Shikaku raised a hand to stop any protests.

Shikaku looked at Yuri who looked nervous and conflicted. She kept looking at Itachi for support, with the latter glaring at Shikaku, his eyes shifting into the blood red of the Sharingan unconsciously—automatically causing half the room to tense and reach for their weapons.

"Will that be okay with you, Yuri?" Shikaku asked, looking at Yuri. "You cannot keep this hidden forever. It will come out sooner or later."

Yuri chewed on her bottom lip before her shoulders slumped. "…This information doesn't leave this room," she said at last, and Shikaku nodded.

"Like Yuri said, this information doesn't leave this room." Shikaku warned, eyes shifting from person to person. "The Hokage already knows about this. And if this information ever gets out, I will hunt down the person who did it, and I will make you disappear."

Yata looked as if he wants to faint from the sheer pressure that Shikaku emits.

"It's not really that complicated or difficult to understand." Yuri sighed, looking at the others in the room. "Have you ever wondered why my relations with the Uchiha clan is so…strained?"

Yata furrowed his brows. The rest of HOMRA looked confused. "I did hear rumours before that it is something about 'an ability'." Tatara answered, resting a hand against his cheek.

"Have you never questioned why Shikaku-sama and the Hokage knew about the Uchiha clan's plans?" Hinami spoke up at last. The medic-nin was frowning. "It is linked to the reason why the Uchiha clan strike Yuri off their ledger, and why Kakashi-san is so angry with them all the time. It is also why Itachi left. And why Obito-san had left the clan with Yuri to begin with."

"You kids know?" Awashima questioned, furrowing her brows. Even the intelligence agent of HOMRA has no idea about the mystery surrounding Uchiha Yuri, though she did wonder just why the Uchiha clan hates the child so much. More so after Shikaku-sama had brought her into HOMRA after she'd passed the jounin exam.

"We knew Yuri since we were in the Academy. Of course we do." Ren grunted. "No use beating around the bush." He looked up, rubbing at the ends of his hair in between his fingers. "Yuri has the ability to speak to and see the dead. She can also call upon spirits and exorcise them. Officially, she's the village's exorcist—sending on the spirits of those departed to the afterlife."

"The Uchiha clan doesn't like anything 'strange' or 'unusual'." Itachi added with a scowl, recalling the stories about Yuri that has gone around the Uchiha clan compound. "Hypocritical of them, since it is basically something like a bloodline limit—something that only Yuri could do."

Shikaku looked at Yuri. "Can you call upon them? We need to know what happened."

Yuri grumbled something. "I need to send them to the afterlife and cleanse the compound anyway," she finally said. "But they might not answer me."

Shikaku nodded. "Very well. Itachi and Yata. Go with Yuri to the Uchiha compound. Hinami, I need you to head to the morgue and handle the bodies of the Uchiha clan. Ren, Shisui and Hana—"

"We'll take care of any rumours going around." Shisui interrupted and Shikaku nodded.

"We're going to have a lot to handle for the coming weeks." Yata grumbled. "Who on earth killed them all like this anyway?"

**XXXXXX**

Yuri is scowling even as Itachi and Yata followed her into the Uchiha clan compound, bypassing the guards that the Hokage had posted at the entrance to prevent civilians and other unauthorised people to enter.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Itachi spoke up at last. He knew that Yuri doesn't like using her ability often, but will if she has to. "We can tell Shikaku-sama—"

Yata let out a bark of laughter. "I'd like to see you say 'no' to the Jounin Commander," he said sarcastically, and Itachi grunted.

"It's fine." Yuri assured Itachi even as she led the way to what had once been Itachi's childhood home and opened the door. The place within was dark, and all three ninjas could see the splotches of blood on the floor and even the stench of it. "I think we all need some closure anyway."

"What are you going to do?" Yata asked, even as they followed Yuri into what must be the dining area. The blood splotches were heavier here—there were even blood stains visible on the low table. "I know what Shikaku-sama said you can do, but what are you going to do?"

Yuri looked over her shoulder at Yata. "I'm calling them," she said simply. "Let's hope they at least answer our questions. They cannot lie to me, but they can refuse to answer."

Itachi recalled something that Yuri said before about spirits being unable to lie even as Yuri stood just before the dark blood splotches on the tatami floor and the low table. She was silent for several moments before Yuri started moving her left hand in a steady rhythm through the air.

And even Itachi could feel the air getting colder, with a presence growing in the room as Yuri did so.

"The air's getting colder." Yata murmured, rubbing at his arms, looking around uneasily. The presence—whatever it is—is giving him the creeps. He can understand to a certain extent why the Uchiha clan abhors Yuri so; though that doesn't give them the excuse to do what they did.

"Just don't move." Itachi murmured, taking one step back so that he is leaning with his back against the wall, and pulling Yata with him by the sleeve. He doesn't know what Yuri is going to do, but he trusted her.

And then, they appeared.

It appeared as wisps of smoke in the beginning—hovering above the blood stained cushions before the low table. But gradually, human shapes started to take form, and Itachi soon recognised the forms of his parents. Vaguely transparent forms, with wisps of what seems to be smoke around their bodies.

"I wondered when you'd call upon us, Yuri." Uchiha Fugaku was the first to speak. And for the first time that Itachi remembered, Fugaku spoke humbly. He wasn't even able to meet Yuri's eyes—merely looking down.

"You answered my call." Yuri sounded almost surprised. "I didn't think you would answer. I was half expecting to get one of the others in the clan instead—those that felt the strongest emotions before their deaths."

"We…have more of a connection with you, as compared to the others—excluding Kagami-san." Uchiha Mikoto was the one to speak this time. And like her husband, she wasn't able to meet Yuri's eyes.

Yata gave a loud rude snort. "Because you both are the ones why she had suffered this much under the hands of your clan to begin with?" he scoffed, glaring at the two spirits. He still felt weird—talking to two people whom he knew is  _dead._  "I have no idea if there is even an afterlife. But if there is one, I hope that there is a special place in Hell reserved for you—especially with everything that you'd planned for the village."

Fugaku flinched. "So you knew."

"Kagami-jii told me about it." Yuri said, her eyes cold. "He asked me to stop you. That he doesn't wish to see the once proud clan go down the route of no return. But you lot won't listen to reason any longer. We were left with no other option. Though it's not like we were the ones to execute you."

"Why, Father?" Itachi spoke at last, not moving from his spot. Fugaku and Mikoto looked at their eldest. Itachi had a look of sorrow in his eyes as he looked at his parents. Regardless of what they'd done, they have still raised him, and they were still his parents. "Why did you do all that? Didn't we swear as a clan to protect Konoha and the inhabitants? When did you start losing sight of your path, and your pride and honour as a ninja?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to understand." Itachi insisted. "I always wanted to know what made the clan go off the deep end the way they did. Why did you do what you did to Obito-san and Yuri? And Sasuke? I understand if it was me. But why Sasuke? What did he do for you to mistreat him so?"

Fugaku looked at Yuri.

"You won't be able to lie to me—not as a spirit." Yuri said calmly. "And not as long as you're in my domain. But you can choose not to answer. We need some answers to everything that had happened. And you owe Itachi these answers."

There was silence for several moments.

"The Uchiha clan is one of the founding clans of Konoha." Fugaku begun. "We helped to create this village. The clan head at the time of Konoha's founding even gave the village its name." The three current living people in the room exchanged startled looks—they didn't know that. "But the entire battle between the Shodai and Uchiha Madara happened, leading to the creation of the Valley of the End. And after that, the clan was shunned. We put up with it. But then, the Kyuubi attack years ago escalated everything. There have always been rumours that the Sharingan was able to control the bijuu. It is how Uchiha Madara had controlled the Kyuubi after all during his fight against the Shodai. That's why after the Kyuubi attack when the village was getting rebuilt, we were ordered to move to this compound." Fugaku gestured around the surroundings, "right on the edge of the village. Bit by bit, we were losing whatever footing and standing that we had with the village."

"None of you lifted a finger during the Kyuubi attack." Yata said. "If maybe you had done  _something,_  the village wouldn't have acted out."

"Maybe."

"And Yuri?" Itachi questioned. "Me? Obito-san? And Sasuke?"

"It…was the only way." Mikoto's voice sounded broken. She looked at her son and his girlfriend pleadingly. She wrapped a pearly transparent hand around her husband's, trying to seek solace and strength in that action. "We could see it. The time of the clan is coming to a close. We could no longer control the clan and their actions. The elders especially. We know that they would plan something drastic soon. When the Fourth was still alive, things weren't that bad. He never cared about the clan's history, and had always listened to us. For awhile, we thought things will improve. But then the Kyuubi attack happened, and the Fourth died, along with hundreds of people. And then, we heard whispers around the village that we had something to do with the Kyuubi attack."

"What has that got to do with what you did to Yuri and the others?" Yata interrupted impatiently.

Yuri looked over her shoulder at Yata and shook her head before turning her attention back towards Fugaku and Mikoto.

"We do not want the contempt and disdain towards us to spread to the children." Fugaku admitted at last. Itachi and Yuri's eyes widened.

"If they just leave the clan—"

"It won't work." Mikoto shook her head. "If they just 'leave' the clan to live outside, they'd still be officially part of the Uchiha clan. The contempt and disdain that the rest of the village showed us will be extended to them as well." Mikoto looked up at Yuri and Itachi who both have looks of understanding on their faces. "I… I came up with the plan to free the kids from the shackles binding them to the bloody history of the Uchiha. To free them so that the village will not see them as cursed children."

"That's why… The abuse?" Yuri could barely get her words out. Her mind is whirling.

Fugaku nodded with guilt. "In the beginning, it was truly an act on our part. But when it comes to you…" Fugaku looked at Yuri. "It got out of hand. The rest of the clan followed our actions. And when the truth of your ability came out, they freaked out. And who knows when it had even begun, but it soon became outright hostility and hatred. We truly…became a cursed clan from that point onwards. Like what the Nidaime always said our clan is."

"Obito got enough two years later, and he left with you—"

"Of course he did!" Itachi exploded. "I would have done the same thing if it had been Sasuke! Do you seriously expect for Obito-san to sit and keep quiet as he watch the entire clan abuse his sister day in and day out? What of their parents? Do they know of the 'plan'? Were they in on it?"

"No. They weren't." Mikoto shook her head, shame-faced. "But when Obito left with you…" She looked at Yuri who had a thunderous expression, "We… We leapt at the chance to have the very excuse to end the cursed lineage of our clan with us. And to set free the kids—allowing them to begin a clean slate within the village. They would be the ones that the village would never look down on or treat with contempt."

"You chased me out of the clan. It was an act?" Itachi almost couldn't recognise his own voice. "And Shisui as well. Sasuke?"

"It killed your mother to do this, Itachi, but please understand." Fugaku wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders as she sobbed into her hands. "We were hoping that you would take your brother with you when you left. But you didn't! We were out of options. We couldn't just…abandon him with you or something. How could we explain our actions?"

"…That's why you…hit him? You abused him?" Itachi's voice was odd. He looked at his parents with silent rage visible in his eyes. "Do you have any idea of the damage you've done to your son? It took me  _months_  before he would even allow anyone to get near him, let alone touch him! He idolised you! Both of you! He loved you! How do you think he felt when you…started hitting him? He still asked me to this day just what he had done wrong for you to treat him this way!" Itachi shook his head, blinking away tears. "Surely…there must be a better way? Couldn't you have just…transferred parental rights to me or something? You didn't have to do what you did!"

"I know, all right, Itachi?" Mikoto almost sobbed. "But it was the only way we could think of! There is no other way! If we'd just gone the legal route by signing over all rights over Sasuke-chan to you, what would you have thought? You would have tried to find out why, wouldn't you?"

"I…" Itachi hesitated before he bit on his bottom lip and looked away. Yeah, he would have tried to find out why. And probably, he would then find out just what his parents have been planning. His rage when he'd found out about Sasuke's abuse had overridden all rational thought that he had at that time.

"I'm sorry, all right?" Fugaku looked distressed. "I know of the mental and physical damage we must have done to Sasuke. He had always been such a gentle child. I even thought at one point that he shouldn't become a ninja. But… It was the only way."

"You're the worst parents ever if you think this is you showing your love." Yuri's voice was tinged with disgust. "And here I thought my parents are bad."

"You can hate us, Yuri." Fugaku smiled sadly at Yuri. "I know I deserved that—we deserved that. But please… Try to understand. We only want what is best for our children. Wouldn't you have done the same in our place?"

"I would never raise a hand against any child of mine." Yuri said immediately. "No matter how bad the situation is, I will find a way to fix it."

"You're strong." Mikoto smiled. "You're just like Kushina. I know we destroyed your life. Even Sasuke-chan. And Itachi. And Shisui-kun. And for that, we deserved whatever punishment that we would be getting. But please… Just remember that we did love you kids. You had still been part of our clan—our family; no matter how distantly related you are. But much like Itachi and Shisui-kun, you were cut from a different cloth. If the clan wished to have any hope or chance of ever regaining our good name and legacy, it has to start from the three of you."

"With hatred comes love." Yata quoted, speaking up after listening to the Uchihas in the room speak. The expression on his face is grim. "A parent's love. I've seen some really crazy things, especially during my time as part of HOMRA for the past two years. But this is really taking the cake. Your youngest son would probably have some serious psychological problems for the rest of his life because of this decision. He would also probably never be able to have a proper relationship with a girl because of it."

"We knew the risks." Mikoto smiled sadly. "I'd rather that our children curse us for eternity than grow up and live the way we did. The pain that we went through when we'd died is nothing compared to the pain that we gave you kids. I'm sorry." Her lips trembled. "I will beg for forgiveness, but you won't give us that, will you?"

"…I don't know." Itachi admitted. "Yuri once told me that spirits couldn't lie. So I know you're telling me the truth at least. And this is the proof that you did love us—if this is even considered  _love._  But what you did… The damage you did to Sasuke…" He shook his head. "Damn it… Couldn't you have found a different way?"

"Forgive us, Itachi." Fugaku smiled sadly. Itachi had a strange sense of déjà vu—those are the words he'd often said to Sasuke before he'd left the Uchiha compound. "But no matter what you think of us, remember that I will always be proud of you. You have become the man that I wished I was. Remember this: protect and cherish the ones around you. It'll be too late for regrets otherwise."

"I won't become like you." Itachi vowed. "I'll sooner chop off my own hands before I would raise a single finger against my kids!"

Mikoto flinched at the venom in her son's voice.

"One last question before I send you on your way." Yuri's eyes looked suspiciously bright. "…Who killed you? And the clan?"

Yata and Itachi exchanged startled looks—they'd almost forgotten that it is what they'd come here for.

Mikoto and Fugaku exchanged looks before looking back at Yuri. But they said nothing.

Yuri smiled sadly. "Not going to answer me, huh?" she muttered. "Not that I'm surprised. I was never anything in your eyes, was I?"

"That's not true." Mikoto protested. "You're…so much like my best friend. Itachi… He couldn't have chosen his future wife any better." She looked at Yuri. "Unlike me, you won't take things lying down. Please… Take care of both my sons."

"I will do it even without you asking me to. And I'm not doing this for you." Yuri's smile was bittersweet. "Time for you to go. I have no idea where you will end up. If you're lucky, you won't end up in Purgatory."

"We have sinned. I'll accept it if it's where we will go." Fugaku said solemnly.

"Very well." Yuri nodded. She clenched her left fist before unclenching it once more. A bright blue butterfly emerged from within her hand and flew towards the Uchiha couple. Their pearly transparent forms then turned into balls of light. Yata and Itachi flinched as one as hundreds of orbs of light appeared around them. "It's time."

" _I'm sorry."_

" _Thank you."_

The murmurings and mutterings of the other voices were drowned out by the two clear voices that belonged to Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto. Then, they disappeared.

Silence fell for a long time without neither one of the three saying anything.

Yata was the first to move. "I don't sense anything else any longer," he said at last. Not like that strange presence he'd felt when Yuri had first called upon Fugaku and Mikoto. "Are they gone?"

Yuri turned to face the two boys behind her. She nodded. "Yeah. For good this time. If I ever need to call upon them again, their time will be limited, as they have already been recalled by Death," she murmured. She turned over her shoulder to look at the spots where Fugaku and Mikoto were seated earlier when she'd called upon their spirits. "They answered. So did every spirit I ever called upon in the past. If so, why? Why have I never been able to see my brother?"


End file.
